


In the Cave

by JustWondering



Category: Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anal Sex, BAMF Loki, Bondage, Dom Loki, Drowning, F/M, Face-Fucking, Humiliation, Kidnapping, Kneeling, M/M, Mind Control, Non-Consensual Blow Jobs, Rape, Sexual Slavery, Shameless Smut, Slavery, Smut, Sub Tony, Submission, Tony Stark Needs a Hug, Torture
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-08
Updated: 2015-07-28
Packaged: 2018-03-11 01:48:28
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 34
Words: 28,939
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3311069
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustWondering/pseuds/JustWondering
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony wakes up from a car crash to find himself back in the cave from Afghanistan. Only this time, he can't use his genius as a bargaining chip. This time, his captor is Loki, and the god's plan is to bend Tony's mind to his will.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Crash

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfic, and it's not particularly compliant with canon. Tony and Pepper are an item, Tony still has the arc reactor, and Loki is alive and an enemy. I don't know where that fits in with the official stories, and frankly I don't care.  
> I wrote this because I was walking through a cave tunnel on vacation and suddenly all the light was gone, and I thought to myself, "Tony Stark would be scared shitless in a place like this." Then I had to build a story to put him there, and fill it with shameless smut because that's what I'd want to see done to him when he's scared.  
> I'm back from vacation and ready to write again! I'd love feedback on where the story is going, though.

_This is even better than in the movies,_ Tony thought to himself as he felt the purr of the engine tingling up his arm from the stick shift. The sky was lit up in shades of pink and gold, and Tony was pretty sure his silver Porsche coupe looked awesome catching the light of the sunset in all its sexy curves. _It's almost as hot as I am,_ he thought of the car, _if anyone were here to see it._ The road was perfectly clear, though – not a single car visible in any direction as Tony drove through the hills. It would've been even more perfect in a convertible, but the brisk October wind was just a little too chilly for Tony to enjoy it blowing through his hair at 100 miles an hour.

 _This is as good as flying,_ Tony thought. Classic rock blared through the sound system and Tony felt alive. The car felt as much a part of his body as the Iron Man suit – he barely had to think about speed and it responded to his foot on the pedal as if he hadn't moved it at all. Tony was perfectly in control.

He wasn't sure what changed, in the instant it happened.  
Twisted metal. A flash of light. Pain.

Tony awoke to a dusty smell, along with the coppery scent of blood. The airbag was up in his space, smothering him. He fumbled with the seatbelt. _Breathe, Tony!_ Where the hell was the release latch? It was Pepper who had convinced him to use his seatbelt. He hated the things, hated the feeling of being confined. His mind flashed through scenes of a different crash, with gunfire and smoke. Tony found himself growing dizzy. At last he found the button and got himself untangled from the wreckage of his car. He was barely aware of tumbling out the driver's side door, landing on his knees in the dusty pavement. His panic attack was in full swing now. Jarvis's voice was a distant buzzing in the background.

“Sir? Sir, are you alright? Sir?”

“Jarvis. I'm... I'm okay, Jarvis. I'm fine.” Tony was far from fine, but he forced the words out anyway. Jarvis was still speaking, saying something about sending someone to get him, but Tony couldn't concentrate, couldn't make his mind focus on anything but getting the next breath of air into his lungs.

He was still on his knees when a shadow fell across his gasping form. Tony never had time to look up to see what had cast that shadow.


	2. Waking Up

Tony woke up knowing exactly where he was, and that wasn't a good thing. He'd know that sandy smell anywhere, the feel of the dirt beneath his aching body. He was lying on the ground in his cave in Afghanistan, and his sharp intellect was at a loss to explain how the hell he got there. _This had to be a dream, didn't it?_

Tony could hear his heart racing, feel his breath catching in his throat. He couldn't afford a panic attack here, so he forced himself to inhale. Deep and slow. Against his better judgment, he cracked one eye open to confirm, and he was definitely in the same cave he'd been in that first time he'd been kidnapped. 

This was impossible. He'd blown that cave to a thousand pieces. The bad guys who'd put him there had been killed. This was the place that turned him into Iron Man, but being here again seemed to take all that away from him. He didn't feel like Iron Man, he didn't feel like an Avenger, he felt like a broken, hopeless prisoner again. He couldn't let himself get back into that headspace. He WAS Ironman. He'd broken out of here before, and he could do it again, and the Avengers would come for him if it took too long. He was fine.

Tony cautiously tried to sit up and take stock of his situation. His body was stiff after the accident, and his head felt like it was splitting open. His hands were tied behind his back at the wrists, and his feet were chained together at the ankles. The cave was dark, but he could already tell the chains at his feet would be a problem. His wrists were bound with rope, and the rough hemp fiber felt like he could wear it down on a stone and possibly break it, but iron chains would be a lot more challenging to escape from. At least he wasn't chained to anything; he could probably crawl to freedom if the chance arose. His thoughts raced through potential escape plans as he stared at the heavy metal door that shouldn't have existed. He KNEW he had blown it up already.

He'd barely been awake five minutes when he was shaken from his scheming by footsteps at the door. Two men in faded army fatigues entered the room and strode up to him. There was no preamble, no greeting, just cold efficiency as the men roughly hauled Tony to his feet and began dragging him to the door. With his feet in chains, Tony didn't have much chance to get away, but he struggled against their grip anyway. A guard in the hallway trained her weapon on him, and Tony reluctantly let himself be dragged out of his cell. His brain didn't let him miss the "STARK INDUSTRIES" emblazoned along the barrel of the gun as the two goons hauled him past her and into someplace even worse than his cell.


	3. It's All Coming Back

Tony had been trying for years to forget the cave's interrogation room. His blood still ran cold at the thought of immersing his face in water, even in the comfort and luxury of his own tower. The frequency with which he woke up screaming had decreased, but the nightmares would never really leave him. This room was the closest he'd ever been to hell on earth, and he used to take comfort in assuring himself he'd never see it again. 

There was a man in the room already, tall and lean. He was facing away from Tony, but his figure made Tony's memory tingle. His brain was working overtime, trying to figure out a way to escape the inevitable. His eyes didn't miss the trough of water in the middle of the room. 

For once, Tony was bereft of smart-ass comments. It was all he could do to keep breathing, to still the panic in his gut and stop himself from fighting when he was clearly at a disadvantage. He'd gotten much better at fighting since his time in Afghanistan, since he'd become Iron Man. He'd trained in martial arts, boxing, self-defense. Without his suit, though, he was helpless. It would be smarter to agree to whatever these nutjobs wanted, and buy time to plan his escape. His brain was having a hard time convincing his body of that, though. Adrenaline was pumping through him, and Tony hoped the panic wasn't showing in his eyes.

The head honcho inquisitor guy didn't even bother to turn to look at Tony. He waved a surprisingly elegant hand at the goons and spoke in a low, silky voice. "You may begin."

Suddenly, there was a fist in Tony's stomach and a blow to the back of his knees, and he was on the floor wheezing. A hand clenched around the back of Tony's neck, and he was being dragged toward the water trough. He scrambled to resist, even managed to knock one of the guards off balance with a low kick from his chained feet, but even as he struggled he knew it was useless. There were three strong men in the room, plus the woman at the door with the gun still aimed at him, and he was on the floor, bound and helpless. God, what he wouldn't give to have Steve or Bruce here to help him. At least they weren't completely defenseless when separated from their equipment.

The fight was over as soon as it had begun. Tony was on his knees in front of the trough, and one of the guards was standing over him holding Tony by the hair with his fist, awaiting the big guy's orders. The guard Tony had kicked was behind him, cursing. Tony's eyes were wide with barely-concealed terror as he looked at his reflection in the murky water. 

An instant later, his head was forced under the water's surface and Tony was reliving every nightmare he'd had since his release. This time it was worse, as the guard behind him was kicking him in the ribs in revenge for his lashing out a moment before, and Tony couldn't even hold his breath as he gasped in pain. 

Tony coughed. Choked. Spluttered. This was it, he was going to die. He couldn't help breathing in the water, couldn't stop coughing and gasping for breath, but his head was still underwater as he fought to survive. He could feel his ribs cracking under the blows from the one guard, but the other's iron grip on Tony's hair kept his head immobilized as his body writhed in pain and panic. His eyes were open underwater but all he could see was muddy shapes as darkness overtook his vision. Just as he thought he was sure to die, he was allowed to come up for air. 

Tony gasped and puked, and winced in pain as his heaving diaphragm put pressure on his broken ribs. He hadn't half recovered before he caught a glance of another hand signal and was back in the water again. He tried to stop himself screaming and couldn't. At least this time he hadn't breathed in, and the guard behind him had stopped kicking him. Part of his mind was grateful for that, while the rest of him was screaming in terror. His vision faded again, and once more he was pulled from the water before he passed out. He was shaking in fear and exhaustion when he saw the signal again.

"Stop!"

Tony's head went under a third time, but it was mercifully brief. The guard jerked his head back and looked at him expectantly. Tony willed his voice to work, to sound confident and not too much like he was begging. He knew deep inside that he was, though.

"Whatever you want from me, I'll do it. What do you need? I'll build it, I'll make it, whatever it is, just stop."

The tall figure turned to face him, and Tony was only half shocked to see Loki's haughty face glaring at him.

"Anthony Stark. So arrogant, even at your lowest point." He strode over to Tony and grasped his face in his smooth, fine hand. "What makes you think I need anything you could build for me? This isn't about you making anything. This is about me, making something of you."


	4. Loki's Plan

The cave dissolved around him as Tony gaped at Loki. As he found himself in an empty white room with the God of Mischief, his mind put two and two together.

"How did you know that much about the cave? Did you...? Stay out of my head, you sick fuck!"

Loki's backhand sent Tony flying against the wall, and he was disappointed to find that his bindings hadn't disappeared with the rest of the trickster's illusions. Loki followed him to where Tony crouched in pain, and grasped his throat in a powerful hand. In an instant, Tony was upright, his feet dangling inches off the floor as Loki's hand closed around his already aching throat.

"You will learn deference, mortal, if you wish to retain the power of speech." Loki's voice thundered at Tony. He met Tony's eyes as his hand tightened its grip. Tony struggled to think how to stop Loki's ire, and settled on lowering his gaze to the god's chest. Loki released him abruptly and Tony crashed to the floor in a gasping, humiliated heap.

"Apologize for your rudeness, human, and I will allow you to rest with your hands unbound this night. I might even consider feeding you, if your apology is well-done."

Loki's voice dripped condescension, and Tony could feel his own hackles rising at the tone in the god's voice. His pride won out over his sense of self-preservation.

"Go fuck yourself, Rudolph."

An instant later, Tony was upright again, this time shackled to the wall by an iron collar around his throat. His hands were still bound behind his back, forcing his spine to arch in an uncomfortable curve. His feet were now chained precariously wide apart, and Tony knew it would take all his concentration to keep his balance to avoid choking himself on the collar around his neck.

"I see you prefer to do things the difficult way. No matter. Perhaps you will come to see things my way in the morning."

The god of lies brushed his smooth hands over Tony's cheek and trailed across his chest. Tony suddenly realized Loki had disapparated his clothes when he magically tied Tony to the wall. His breath hitched in fear as Loki's hand rested a moment on the arc reactor in his chest. Then, abruptly, Loki turned and walked from the room without a backward glance.


	5. Night

That night was the most uncomfortable in Tony's memory. The engineer had spent many a night passed out in his workshop on a bench of tools, but generally he was used to a life of comfort. It didn't take long for Tony to realize that this night would be anything but.

Without clothes, Tony felt weak and exposed, not to mention freezing. His chest ached from the broken ribs, his lungs burned from almost drowning, and his throat was bruised and throbbing after taking Loki's abuse. With his feet chained to the wall so far apart from each other, he felt perpetually off-balance, but had no way to adjust his position. His arms were on fire from being bound tightly since he'd woken up in the cave. The white fluorescent lights in the room were so bright that even with his eyes closed Tony couldn't escape the glare.

Tony tried to do some breathing exercises to calm himself, but that just made the ribs hurt more. It had been a long time since he'd felt so alone. Back at his tower, actually pretty much everywhere he went, he had Jarvis for company, even when he had no one else around.

Tony wondered what his AI had told the Avengers after his accident. He searched his memory for what Jarvis had said at the time, but everything was hazy in there. Tony wasn't even sure he was on Earth anymore - this could be Asgard for all he knew, and only Thor could find him if that was the case.

Tony probably got less than half an hour's sleep the whole night. He'd been able to nod off a few times, but his balance was off and he woke up in a panic as the collar choked him awake. He'd wake up with his heart racing and have to fight his own instincts to keep from trying to break his bonds. Tony felt like he understood Bruce's rage monster at last - Tony's terrorized mind wanted nothing more than to fight until he escaped this prison. God, the morning couldn't come soon enough.


	6. Tony Says the Wrong Thing

The god of lies reminded Tony of a prowling tiger, the way he entered the room that morning looking deadly on silent feet.

"What do you want from me, Loki?" Tony was too exhausted for any preamble.

"Sir," Loki corrected, his voice ice-cold.

Tony couldn't help himself. "You don't have to call me sir, Lokes. Only Jarvis calls me that." Shit. Why had he said that? Now was not the time for joking around.

"For a mortal being who is rumoured to be intelligent, you are surprisingly foolish. Do you secretly like being chained to the wall?" Loki's voice was dangerously controlled. "I could arrange to keep you like this forever."

Tony dropped his eyes to the floor. He willed himself to shut up for once.

"I expect an answer, human."

"No." Tony forced the response from gritted teeth, hoping it was the right one.

"No, sir," prompted the god. His quiet tone did nothing to diminish the threat evident in his voice.

"No, sir." Tony replied reluctantly. He prayed that Loki would release him from his bonds and let him sleep, like he'd promised last night. Of course, that was a far cry, knowing the god of mischief. Tony was a mouse caught in a trap, and Loki enjoyed playing with his victims too much to let him go so easily.

Loki studied Tony silently for a long time, until the engineer couldn't stand it any longer.

"What do you want from me?" Tony demanded. He paused. "Sir." It almost physically hurt him to give Loki that respect, after everything Loki had done. He couldn't trust himself to look at the god without snarling, so he continued to stare at the floor.

Loki didn't reply, only watched his prisoner in silence, but Tony didn't dare ask again. After a minute or two, Tony looked up to meet the god's eyes. At last, Loki spoke.

"I want to teach you your place, mortal. So arrogant. So cocksure. You consider yourself above the gods, a saviour of the human race. You and your puny Avengers think you can defend Midgard with your tricks and toys? I will remind you how you can't even save yourselves. When I am finished with you, Anthony Stark, you will take joy in obeying your betters."

Tony let out a short bark of a laugh, then winced as his aching ribs flared up.

Loki stalked forward then, anger surging beneath the surface of his eyes. "Will you still resist me, fool? Apologize for mocking me and I will heal your wounds and release you from your chains. Continue on this unwise path, though..." Loki grabbed a fistful of Tony's hair and yanked his head back. "I can dole out both pleasure and pain. Which I give depends greatly on what you have earned."

Tony held his breath as a silent battle raged inside him. He couldn't hope to escape, trussed up as he was. He was loathe to give the insane god what he wanted, but what harm could come of it, really? After a moment, he took a deep breath and met Loki's eyes. "I'm sorry I offended you by laughing, Loki."

The god's eyes narrowed, and Tony realized his mistake an instant later.

"Fuck, SIR! I'm sorry, SIR."

Loki paused a moment, and Tony wondered if he'd screwed up again. Was this all a trick? Had Loki meant what he'd said about releasing him? Eventually, though, Loki's slim hand released Tony's hair and moved down to his ribcage. Tony felt uncomfortably aware of the god's proximity to his naked body, but soon forgot everything as he screamed in pain.

Loki's fingers were digging into his cracked ribcage, poking all Tony's sensitive points. Tony let out a string of curses at the god of lies as he writhed against his bonds.

A few minutes later, when Loki took his hands off Tony's chest, the engineer realized his breathing had eased and the aches in his arms and legs were gone. Even his throat felt better, although it was still raw from screaming. Maybe the god of lies had been telling the truth about healing him after all. Loki stepped back and smirked, and Tony felt his suspicion rising again.

"You seem awfully fond of this word, fuck. You'd better be careful, Anthony. I might take it as an invitation."

Tony felt a knot of fear in the base of his stomach. He'd never been tortured that way before, and he didn't plan on starting now. On the other hand, with his legs spread and his naked cock exposed for the god to see, he had no way of preventing Loki doing exactly what he wanted to do. And right now, Loki was looking Tony's body up and down with an approving glance.

"Please, Loki, don't. I'll do anything, just... don't. Please." Tony hated himself for begging, but he didn't have many other options open.

"You forgot something, slave."

"Oh, fuck! Sir! Please, SIR!"

Loki purred. "I think I will enjoy taking you, Anthony Stark."

Tony struggled uselessly against his shackles as Loki traced his hand along the ribs he'd healed. The hand was icy cold, and Tony tried not to think about it touching him. Tony was almost hyperventilating as Loki's other hand reached around to grasp his butt. This couldn't be happening. This could not be happening, but it was.


	7. Loki Gets What He Wants

Loki snapped his fingers and suddenly Tony had a ball gag in his mouth. The helpless man tried to distract himself by wondering if the gods used ball gags on Asgard, or if Loki had picked up on this technique from some encounter on earth. It was no good, Tony couldn't ignore Loki's smooth hands on his body. He poured all his hatred, anger, and humiliation into his eyes and glared at the impervious god. Loki ignored Tony's struggles and signs of protest, and put one cold hand around Tony's cock.

Tony bucked and glared harder, which made Loki laugh. "Don't worry, slave, you'll learn to enjoy this. I'm sure your body will be glad of my attention, even if your mind disagrees."

To Tony's fury, the god of mischief and lies was right - his body was responding to the god's gentle but firm touch. Loki's hand gripped Tony's ass harder as he started to pump Tony's cock with slow, even strokes. Tony couldn't help but groan as his cock started to harden against his will. The hand on Tony's butt reached down and stopped at the tight opening of Tony's anus. Tony froze in fear - this was not something he'd consented to with anybody, least of all a deranged god who'd tried to kill him.

Loki whispered something under his breath, and the finger that entered Tony was slick with lube. Tony tried to shift away from Loki's hands, and ended up off-balance and choking on the iron collar holding him to the wall. The god paused for a moment to push Tony back against the wall, before resuming his invasion of Tony's body.

Tony was mentally cursing the god with every fibre of his being, but he couldn't stop his body trembling as Loki pushed a second finger into his entrance. Loki's other hand was still idly fondling Tony's cock, but the god's attention was clearly on preparing Tony's asshole for the coming assault. Tony tried to fight it again, lost his footing and choked, and stared at Loki with eyes that alternated between pleading and hatred as the god righted him against the wall.

Loki stopped suddenly, and Tony almost allowed himself to hope that his prayers had been answered. Instead, Loki snapped his fingers again, and Tony was no longer chained spread-eagled to the wall. Now the engineer was strapped face down against a table in the middle of the room. The gag was still in his mouth, but at least his throat was free of the iron collar. His hands were still bound behind his back, and his chest was secured to the table with leather straps. His feet were similarly tied to the table legs. Tony struggled violently, trying to get the table to move, but it seemed bolted to the floor.

The snap of his fingers had clearly removed Loki's clothes as well. The god stood before Tony now, a pale adonis staring at his prisoner with cruel eyes. His cock was hard and twitching, and way too close to Tony's face for comfort. It was also huge. Tony had no idea how something that size could fit in his virgin ass, but the look on Loki's face told him it was going to happen despite the fear and lack of consent. Tony supposed he could be grateful the god had thought to magic up some lube.

Loki lazily stroked his own cock while smiling at Tony - smiling! "You look like a fine slave, trussed to the table awaiting my pleasure. Not many mortals are so honoured as to be chosen by a god. I should take that gag out of your mouth and allow you to worship me properly."

Tony tried to growl to show his anger, but with the gag in his mouth it could have been a moan. The noise seemed to turn the god on even further, and Tony couldn't help but notice the giant cock jumped at the sound of his voice. The god flicked his wrist and Tony's mouth was free.

"You sick, perverted fuck! I won't-" Tony gasped in shock as Loki slapped him across the face with his cock.

"I had thought to spare your hole, seeing as it's clearly your first time, but a tongue that filthy doesn't deserve to touch a god's body. I think I shall leave your mouth free, though, to better enjoy your screams."

And with that, Loki was out of Tony's sight, and cold hands rested on either side of Tony's hips. Tony swallowed and braced himself for the inevitable.

"Please don't, Loki." Tony surprised himself with the whispered appeal to the god of mischief. He was even more surprised when Loki seemed to heed his pleas.

The hands left Tony's hips and a single finger entered his hole again. The other hand started playing with Tony's balls, and Tony couldn't stop a groan from escaping again. Loki's hands were smooth, firm, and confident - he had clearly been with men before, and knew exactly how to get what he wanted. Tony's cock was hard again, despite his fear and unwillingness.

A second finger pushed into his tight asshole, and Tony was soon begging Loki to stop again. Loki ignored Tony's voice and listened to his body, pumping rhythmically into Tony's ass with two, then three fingers, stretching Tony painfully beyond anything he'd imagined possible. Then the fingers stopped, and Tony froze in fear. He felt Loki's hands on his hips again, bracing him, as an impossibly big cock pressed against his entrance.

Loki paused, and Tony begged. "Please, no, Loki, please. No! No, no, no, please." He felt Loki's cock twitch in response to the terror in his voice, and felt sick to his stomach at the knowledge that his panic was only feeding Loki's pleasure. Tony promised himself he wouldn't scream when Loki entered him, but that vow was broken before he could stop himself. Loki was HUGE.

The god pushed Tony open and let himself inside in a swift, savage thrust. The engineer felt like he was being split open and spitted on Loki's cock. The god pulled himself almost all the way out, and then slammed Tony's body into the table again. Tony wasn't begging anymore, he was screaming and crying in terror and pain. The agony lessened as the god found his rhythm and ploughed Tony's ass with a little less violence, but for Tony the fear and humiliation remained the same. Loki played with Tony's cock and balls as he took his pleasure from him, but even as Tony's cock responded, tears were streaming down his face.

Loki clearly got off on Tony's groans and cries of pain. The more his victim squirmed, the more enthusiastically the god pumped Tony's cock as he rode the smaller man. Tony hated his body for answering the abuse with eagerness. Even as the god's cock thrust Tony's body painfully into the table, the man's cock twitched and jumped at the god's attentions. Finally it was too much for the engineer's overloaded nerves, and he wept hot tears and cursed the god of lies as Tony's cock pumped a load of come into Loki's cruel hand. Loki hummed triumphantly as he continued his rhythmic abuse of Tony's virgin ass.

The god was breathing heavily as he reamed into Tony's swollen hole, and Tony's cries had subsided to whimpers. After a few short, hard thrusts, Loki suddenly pulled out and grabbed Tony by the hair from behind.

"I think I'll capture Miss Potts, too, and you can watch me take her this way. Would you like that, slave?"

Before Tony could respond to the threat, Loki stabbed him with one final violent thrust, and Tony screamed his pain and rage as Loki came hard in his ass.


	8. Tony Gets a Break

Tony spent the rest of the day curled up in the fetal position, shaking. He tried to occupy his mind with plans for escape, but was distracted by the thought of Loki's threats against Pepper. He despised the god with every ounce of passion he could muster. Although the evil son of a bitch had followed through on his promise to leave Tony unbound after he'd raped him. Some comfort.

If Tony had known where he was, maybe there would be a chance of a successful escape attempt, but the engineer had no clues to his whereabouts. He was in a locked white room, and had no idea what country he was in, or even if he was still on Earth. The guards he'd seen when he was in the cave, were they real or were they part of Loki's illusion? They'd felt pretty real, and human, when they'd been pushing his head into the trough.

Tony shuddered. Better not to think about that. Best not to think of anything that had happened since he'd been here, really. Tony wondered what the Avengers were doing, whether they had any idea it was Loki who'd taken him, whether there was a trail for them to follow. He tried not to think of Pepper worrying, tried even harder not to think of Loki getting to her before the Avengers got him out of here. They were coming for him. They had to be.

Tony heard a key in the lock and scrambled to his feet just as the door opened. The female guard from the cave stood in the doorway, her weapon pointed at his chest. Over her shoulder, Tony could see that the door opened to a hallway about four feet wide. He looked at her appraisingly, trying to guess if he'd be able to reach her and disarm her without getting shot. The expression on her face seemed like she was daring him to try. He hesitated, and she kicked a metal canister into the room before shutting the door again. So much for that plan.

The can appeared to be a lunch box, and Tony remembered that he hadn't been fed in the two days he'd been here. He was used to skipping meals when his lab projects distracted him, so the hunger hadn't affected him badly, but Tony definitely needed to eat. Tony wondered if Loki would stoop so low as to poison his food. He wouldn't put it past the trickster, but so far the god's assaults on Tony had been more direct. Tony opened the box and inspected the soup inside. It looked like real food, and smelled edible, if not particularly good.

In the end, Tony decided to eat the soup. Well, drink it. He hadn't been given a spoon. He supposed the guards were afraid he'd use it as a weapon. The metal canister didn't have as much potential to injure his captors, although Tony could hammer it into a crude glove if he had some tools. If only he still had the chains around his ankles, they'd probably be strong enough to convert the metal box into a weapon. On the other hand, with chains around his ankles Tony wouldn't be able to run if the chance presented itself.

Tony cursed at his overactive mind, still trying to make plans. The entire exercise was a moot point. He didn't have his suit, he didn't have any weapons, he didn't know where he was, and no one was probably coming for him. He was stuck here until Loki decided to let him out. The lunatic god was a fucking psychopath who wanted to tear Tony apart and humiliate him, and there was nothing the genius could do about it. Except maybe curl back up in the fetal position and shake until someone came to rescue him.


	9. Loki's Sick Fantasies

Tony heard footsteps outside the door to his prison, and his heart jumped. It could be one of the Avengers! Not Natasha, she'd never allow anyone to hear her approaching, but Captain America, maybe. Tony allowed himself to imagine Steve's face coming through the door. His heart was beating out of his chest, he was so nervous. Surely his prayers would be answered, surely he'd suffered enough at Loki's hands.

Before the door opened, though, Tony felt his body being magically forced to his knees. He tried to fight it, tried to shout, but his muscles were totally beyond his control. His mind unhelpfully reminded him of how similar this was to when Obadiah immobilized him and left him to die with a gaping hole in his chest. Great. Now he was fighting a panic attack when he needed all his focus on the god of mischief coming through the door.

Loki strode into the room with a grin on his face, and looked down at Tony's rigid form. "Ah, Stark, how sweet you look kneeling obediently at my feet."

Tony's body shook as he struggled to free himself from the enchantment, and his eyes were wide with fire and panic. It was useless, though. He had no power against Loki's magic, and had no way to express his defiance.

"You were very good last night, slave. Did you like it? You screamed so beautifully for me, pet. Perhaps I should reward you."

Tony didn't know what kind of reward the trickster had in mind, but he was pretty sure he wasn't going to like it. Loki stroked a hand across Tony's face, and the prisoner shuddered at the gentle touch. Loki's white hands were so delicate, it was hard to believe they were capable of last night's cruelty.

"I enjoy seeing you brought low, Man of Iron. Such a strong name, for so weak a body. I am going to relish breaking your spirit. How shall I take you next?" The god dropped to a cat-like crouch and stroked Tony's chest and back as he whispered his evil thoughts in his prisoner's ear.

"I will hear you beg, slave. I will hear you scream. Perhaps I shall rape you while your head is in a water trough, would you like that?" Tony's breath came shallow as he tried to control his growing panic. With no way to respond to Loki's taunting, he only hoped the god couldn't see the terror his threats were eliciting.

"And then, once I've broken you, I will hear you beg for more. You will thank me for choosing you, for giving you the opportunity to pleasure me. Perhaps that shall be your reward now - a taste of the joy of service. Are you ready, slave?"

In his head, Tony was screaming and cursing, denying Loki's words with everything he had. With no way to show it, Tony only stared at the god with defiant eyes as the god snapped his fingers. Instantly, a scepter appeared in Loki's hands, and he smirked maliciously as he held it to the arc reactor in Tony's chest and muttered an incantation.


	10. Tony is Not Himself

Tony's vision clouded, and he felt vaguely drunk. He was still kneeling on the floor before the god, but for some reason it wasn't as humiliating anymore. In fact, he felt honoured to be allowed in the presence of his god. He looked up at Loki with adoring eyes, even as a voice he recognized as his own silently cried out in rebellion. Loki stroked Tony's hair, and his body melted into the god's touch with a smile even as his unconscious screamed its objections.

"And now, dear slave, it is time for your reward. Will you pleasure me, pet, with your mouth? You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

Loki's spell was a nightmare beyond Tony's imagining. The genius was screaming, crying, shaking in fear and humiliation on the inside, but his wide eyes gazed lovingly at the god of lies as he happily agreed to suck Loki's cock. Tony even hummed in appreciation when the god's leather pants came off to reveal his enormous cock only inches from the engineer's eager face. God, when Tony got out of this he was going to rip Loki's guts out with a hot poker and dance over his corpse.

The genius on the inside tried to reassure himself that this wasn't happening to him. This hollow shell wasn't really Tony, this sycophant cooing his praises over Loki's cock... This wasn't Tony Stark, wasn't Iron Man, was just a figment of Loki's sick fantasies. This wasn't his tongue, wasn't his mouth, wasn't his body reacting to Loki's lusty groans.

Not-Tony was enthusiastically worshipping Loki's stiff cock. His tongue darted along its length, teased the most sensitive parts, twirled around its head. His hands grasped at its base, cupped Loki's balls, grabbed the god's ass and pulled him forward, encouraging him to thrust deeply into his hot, welcoming mouth. His own cock was standing at full attention, and Not-Tony moaned in pleasure as he fondled himself while taking Loki's length deep into his throat. Loki's hands in his hair became less gentle and more urgent as he demanded more pleasure from his prisoner's willing mouth.

And then, suddenly, Loki's fist grabbed Tony by the hair and held him immobile. His magically-controlled body hissed and tried to continue its worship of the god's glorious cock, but a warning glare from his master stilled him instantly. What did he want? Had his slave displeased him, Not-Tony wondered?

"You do well, pet. I will give you leave to finish this, but first..."

The wand touched Tony's chest again, and the full weight of reality hit him. Tony retched and shook as Loki gripped his head tightly in both hands.

"And now, slave, you will complete this task. If you don't... well, you value your life, do you not? And the virtue of your puny mortal companion."

Pepper. Tony tried not to think of the redhead, not here, not like this, but Loki's threats were clear, even to his addled brain.

"I grow impatient, Anthony."

Loki growled as Tony's mind reeled. Even with his hands and feet unbound, the man was far from free to escape. The god's hold on his head was like steel, and Tony didn't need reminding of what else the trickster could do to him if he refused this order. The engineer tried to look anywhere but at the god's huge cock in his face as he contemplated submitting.

"You are one sick, perverted, deranged piece of shit, you know that, Rudolph?" It sounded like bravado, but Tony's eyes couldn't hide their resignation to his fate. This time, when he took the god's cock between his lips, there was no worship, no moaning, no lustful sighs. Tony's body trembled as the prisoner reluctantly allowed his mouth to be abused by the monstrous cock. Loki's hands remained on the man's head, controlling the pace and guiding his cock deeper and deeper into the man's throat.

Tony was trying his hardest to keep his shit together, but the god's huge cock was choking him and keeping him from catching his breath. He tried to scream, to beg Loki to stop, but the god's pace was too frenzied now for his cries to register. Tony lost it. This was too much like drowning, too much out of his control. He gagged, tried to push back, get his space, get some air, anything but this, but Loki's powerful hands refused to release him from this hell. Instead, they held him tighter and Loki pumped faster at Tony's face as the man's entire world was reduced to terrified muffled screams and the struggle for breath.

Tony's fear clearly fueled the god's lust. His panic-clouded mind barely registered a hot spurt of come shooting down his throat before the god released him. Tony dissolved into a sobbing, tearful ball of weakness on the floor.

"You scream so beautifully, slave. I should record your cries, to send to your ridiculous Midgardian 'heroes' and let them know what a pathetic creature their Man of Iron really is."


	11. Alone in the Darkness

Tony woke to find himself alone again. He was lying on a cold, hard surface that felt like stone, and he could smell damp earth around him. He opened his eyes and wondered if he'd gone blind. He waved a hand in front of his eyes, but either there was no light to see by or Loki had taken away his power of sight. Tony's heart dropped in his chest as his hands instantly reached for the arc reactor. Nothing felt amiss, but for some reason its light had been dampened. Tony waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark for several minutes before giving up.

The engineer cautiously tested his body for injury. His muscles were stiff, but obeyed his commands. His skin seemed to have plenty of scrapes but nothing more serious than bruises. No pain in his head or face explained why he couldn't see, so Tony concluded that he was healthy enough, considering what he'd been through. Since it appeared he'd been left alone for now, Tony began to explore his surroundings by feel.

This had to be another cave. It was longer than it was wide, by a long shot. Tony estimated it was about ten feet wide by at least forty feet long. The man's sharp mind was calculating. There must be some way to use this space to his advantage, some way to turn the tables on the capricious god who'd taken him prisoner. At least, with this much room available to move, Tony could run or hide or do SOMETHING to avoid the god.

Tony's brilliant mind was slowly driving him insane. The cave was so silent it was loud. Back at the lab, speakers blasted out music to distract him, Jarvis responded instantly to his needs, and his environment was carefully controlled to soothe and inspire him. Loki must have designed this cave to be the exact opposite. Tony was alone with his thoughts, blind in the dark, and nothing stood between him and the horrors of his overactive imagination. Tony tried to visualize escape plans and engineer traps and weapons to defend himself, but he couldn't focus. His mind was flooded with flashbacks of Afghanistan. Even when he overcame his panic attacks, Tony couldn't stop thinking about the tortures he'd already faced at Loki's hands, and fearing whatever the god had in store for him next.

Tony shivered. He was shaken from his contemplation by the chill in the air; the temperature in the cave had dropped by at least ten degrees. No door had opened, but the man could feel Loki's presence. The engineer scrambled to his feet in the darkness. Damned if Loki was going to see him on his knees, even when it was too dark to see anything.

“You must be hungry, slave.” Loki's smooth voice shattered the silence. Tony's ears strained to locate the god, but the echoes in the cave confounded him. He huffed in indignition at the god's tone, but didn't reply. “Prostrate yourself at your master's feet, and you shall be rewarded with food and light.”

The sheer nerve of the god made Tony laugh out loud. “You'd like that, wouldn't you, Loki?” Tony let all his frustration and anger boil to the surface. “You think you can just order me to kneel for you and I will? I don't know what you're used to on your fucked-up alien planet, but here-”

The hand that struck him into silence wasn't entirely unexpected, but it still took Tony by surprise in the darkness. He stepped back and tried to look left and right for the trickster god but of course saw nothing.

“I will have you as my servant, Man of Iron.” Loki's voice thundered in the otherwise silent cave. “You will earn my mercy and your meals by showing the proper submission... or you will pay the price for your insolence with pain.”

Tony's anger flared again. “What kind of shitty excuse for a god are you, anyway? Management 101, buddy! You want service, you find the right people and you reward them to keep them loyal. Fuck, I've got more willing servants than you do!”

Tony must have struck a nerve, because suddenly his arms were bound above his head to the ceiling. The cave was still pitch black, and Tony could hear Loki's breath close by his ear. “We are not so dissimilar, slave, in our ways of procuring servants.” Loki's whisper was low and threatening. “Taking imperfect materials...” A hand brushed along Tony's arm. “Moulding them, programming them to suit our needs. Only you deal in metal, and I control minds.”

He traced his smooth hand across Tony's cheek, and the engineer flinched away and snarled. “We're nothing alike.”

Loki ignored the comment. “Tell me, if one of your creations disobeyed you as you have done me, how would you bend it to your will?” The hands in the darkness gripped Tony's head securely. “Shall I reprogram you to have a more courteous manner?”

For a moment, Tony felt his heart leap with joy at the idea of serving the god, but the thought vanished as Loki withdrew his hands.

Tony shook his head, more to clear it than in denial. “In your dreams, Bucko!” His voice sounded hollow, even to himself. Who was he kidding? He knew what tricks the god of mischief could play on his mind.

Loki continued as if Tony hadn't spoken at all. His hands dropped to Tony's chest, pausing perilously over the arc reactor, tracing circles around it where it met Tony's skin. Tony couldn't suppress a shiver.

The god's voice was thoughtful. “Perhaps I should break you. Take you apart. Put you back together more to my liking.”

Tony tried not to let his fear take over as he imagined Loki plucking the life force from his chest, or worse, taking over his mind and turning him into some kind of slave-zombie. He snapped back, “A good engineer knows when to stop wasting his time forcing his creations into a task they're not suited for. You may as well release me now, nutcase, I'm never submitting to your ridiculous delusions!”

“I am sure that very soon, you will see these things differently.” Without warning, out of the darkness, a whip lashed out and Tony's back was fire. He screamed in surprise and pain before he could stop himself. “Ten strokes, today, should teach you obedience, slave. You will count each stroke.” Loki's voice was calm and haughty. Tony's was anything but.

“Fuck you, you piece of shit. I'm not counting anything!”

The god's voice was like ice when he spoke again. “Fifteen. I will not stop until you have counted each stroke. You had best learn your place quickly.”

It took three harsh lashes on Tony's back before he gave in and began to count. He told himself he wouldn't scream again, but grunts and counting gave way to shrieks of agony as the leather cut strips out of the man's back. He writhed in his bonds, but his arms were still securely tied to the ceiling.

When the vicious beating was finished, Loki ran a hand along Tony's back, eliciting a sob and a flare of pain. “You have paid for your keep in blood tonight, Man of Iron.” The hand continued sliding along his body in the darkness, stopping on his ass to give it a squeeze. “I had hoped you'd choose obedience, so that I might show you the pleasures of submission.”

Tony couldn't contain a cynical laugh. “Keep dreaming, Looney Tunes. I'm never going to become your eager sex slave. Ain't gonna happen!”

To Tony's surprise, Loki purred in response. “Oh, but you will. The next time I take my pleasure of you, you will have offered yourself willingly.”

Before the engineer could reply, Loki's hand pressed firmly against the fresh wounds on his back, and Tony's whole world was pain. A moment later, Tony's arms were free from the restraints and he crashed to his knees on the floor.

“I have healed the skin on your back, but the pain will remain to teach you the price of defiance. You may eat and rest. I will return tomorrow to accept your submission.”

“The fuck you will,” Tony muttered after him as he felt Loki's presence disappear. A few seconds passed before he smelled food. The room was still black, with not even the light of the arc reactor to see by, so Tony patted the floor until he found a dish of ricey gruel. He was too hungry to reject it, but it in no way satisfied him, and he soon fell into an exhausted sleep, dreaming of cheeseburgers and chili fries.


	12. An Unexpected Companion

Days passed in a blur. Tony sat alone in the dark, fumbling with his arc reactor, trying to puzzle out how Loki had dampened its light without disabling it entirely. Occasionally the god would pay him a visit to demand that Tony kneel, and then the silence would be broken by defiant denials followed by cries of pain. Tony was always bound to the ceiling during the torture, and soon learned to differentiate the hissing snap of a whip on his back from the crack of a cane connecting with his legs or the low thump of fists in his belly. Each session ended with Loki restoring Tony's health to a constant dull ache of bruised and battered muscle, and the man was left alone with a bowl of broth and bread or rice. He was constantly hungry, his throat dry and raw from screaming, his muscles wracked with exhaustion and throbbing with pain. He hadn't broken, and the god hadn't raped him again. He was damned if he'd feel thankful for that mercy, though.

Tony was so used to darkness and silence that he didn't believe it when he heard breathing from the other side of his cave. He scrambled to his feet and heard a gasp. Well, so much for the advantage of surprise.

“Who's there?” His voice croaked from disuse.

“Tony, is that you?” Nothing could have prepared him to hear Pepper's voice after so long on his own. Tony actually collapsed in shock. He was overwhelmed with conflicting emotions – relief not to be alone, horror that the woman he loved was here in this place, joy at hearing a kind voice, terror at knowing how helpless he was to protect her. 

He finally found his voice. “Yeah, it's me, Pep.” He shuffled carefully toward her, finally brushing his fingertips against her leg in the darkness. “What are you doing here? How long has Loki had you?” Tony let the questions tumble out without giving the poor woman a chance to answer. “Are you alright? Did he hurt you? I'll kill him!” An empty threat, considering the circumstances, but the engineer had to say something.

Pepper's gentle hand reached out and ran through Tony's hair. It was the first compassionate touch he'd felt in ages. “Oh my god, Tony, we've been so worried. It's been almost two weeks and Jarvis couldn't find any trace of you! What happened to your arc reactor? Is it still working? Are you okay?”

For a long time Tony didn't reply, only wrapped his arms around her body and inhaled her scent as she continued stroking her hands through his hair. Her skin was bare – clearly Loki had magicked away her clothes, as he'd done his. Tony's blood boiled at the thought of the god looking over Pepper's naked body. Finally, he was able to clear his mind enough to answer her questions.

“I'm fine; the arc reactor's still working. I can't figure out how Loki shut the light off. I guess that's why Jarvis couldn't track me. What are you doing here? Did Loki hurt you?”

“I was at the tower with Bruce,” Pepper answered softly. “We were trying to figure out a better way to trace all of us. We thought whoever took you might try again. Jarvis was helping. We installed a test version in my ankle, and I went out into the hallway to see how well it worked. And suddenly, Loki was there. He said nothing, just grabbed my wrist, and then I was here.” She paused. “Why am I naked? Are you, too?” Her hand left Tony's head and brushed across his back.

Tony yelped in pain, startling her and himself. “Sorry.” Pepper had let go and moved away from him. Tony slid closer, found her trembling hand and placed it on his cheek. “Loki's been beating me. I guess clothes would get in the way.” He tried to sound nonchalant, but couldn't help thinking about Loki touching Pepper, hurting her, claiming her as his own. Hell no. Pepper was Tony's. “I won't let him hurt you, Pep. We're going to get you out of here, and I'm going to keep you safe.”

 


	13. Dubious Consent

They stayed in each others' arms in the darkness for what felt like hours. When a chill in the air announced Loki's return, Tony helped Pepper to her feet. The god snapped his fingers and Tony's arms were tied to the ceiling again. He could hear Pepper struggling nearby and tried to force himself to remain calm. Loki ignored the woman and addressed Tony.

“I have brought you a companion, slave. Will you get on your knees and thank me for retrieving her for you?”

Tony growled. “Leave her out of this, Loki. You want me? Take me. Just don't fucking lay a finger on her.”

Pepper whispered, “Tony, no!” but he tried to ignore her. She didn't know how vicious the god of lies could be, and Tony didn't intend for her to find out.

“I remain unconvinced, mortal. Ask me nicely and I may accept your submission in lieu of hers.”

“Tony, don't you dare...”

Tony took a deep breath and steadied his voice. “Please don't hurt her. Sir.” The bonds around Tony's wrists fell away and he landed heavily on his knees on the stone floor of the cave. He sighed in relief that the god seemed to accept his plea. Still, he loathed himself for his weakness as he remained at the god's feet. “Thank you for taking me and not her, sir.”

Loki's voice crowed with pleasure. “What a good, submissive slave you make, Man of Iron.” He placed a hand on Tony's shoulder and transported them both to the blinding white room he'd seen on his first day. Tony whimpered and covered his eyes against the sudden assault of light.

“I clearly heard you invite me to take you, mortal. Will you give me your body willingly, without a fight?”

Tony's stomach dropped, and he looked up at the god towering over his still-kneeling form. “I make no promises,” he answered honestly.

“I thought not. No matter. I like you bound.”

No sooner had Loki spoken than chains sprang up from the floor and wrapped themselves around Tony's calves and ankles, pinning him on his knees on the floor. His wrists were tied tightly in front of him and a riding crop was dangling from Loki's left hand.

Tony couldn't help feeling betrayed. Hadn't Loki promised that if he submitted he wouldn't be hurt? _Of course, Loki is the god of lies. I should have known better than to take him at his word._

The trickster seemed to read his thoughts. He smiled. “I told you to pay for your keep in either pain or obedience, slave. Today you agreed to spare your companion the price, and so you must pay for both.”

The god stood before Tony and slowly removed his clothing, piece by piece. His body was thin but muscular, his skin pale under the bright lights. Tony was filthy, in contrast. His skin was dark and mottled with bruises, and his muscles, usually well-toned, seemed to have shriveled from his starvation diet. Tony couldn't bear to look at himself any longer, but was trying to avert his gaze from Loki's flaccid cock. The god flicked the crop in the air, and all Tony's attention focused on the weapon in the god's hand.

“Oh, slave, I've missed seeing the fear in your eyes. But you've consented, haven't you? You agreed to this.” Loki trailed the crop along his prisoner's jaw and paused. “I want to hear you acknowledge it.”

Tony answered carefully, fully aware of the dangers of making a promise to the god of lies. “I agreed to submit to you, on the condition that you not hurt Pepper.” His voice broke a little as he said her name.

The god smiled. His cock was starting to harden in Tony's face. “For today, mortal, I accept your terms of defeat. I may choose to renegotiate tomorrow.”

The trapped man shivered as the god fondled himself and traced lines across Tony's back with the crop. The touch on his back was gentle, but Tony's muscles were frozen in fear, waiting for the pain to start. He didn't have long to wait.

Loki guided his cock toward the man's mouth, which was firmly closed. Crack! The crop stung Tony's leg. He cried out and his mouth was filled with the god's throbbing cock, now fully erect. The god moaned in pleasure and whipped Tony again. He ground his hips languidly into the man's face, controlling his speed with a hand in Tony's hair. The god groaned and hummed in joy as he lashed the man and felt each scream deep in the base of his cock. When he stopped, Tony was trembling in pain and unwilling tears were streaming down his face.

 


	14. Pleasure and Pain

The god flicked his wrist and Tony's ass was up in the air, wide open for the god's assault. Tony was bound to a ramp, his head down and his elbows and knees chained to the surface at a 45 degree incline. He gasped as the god gripped his back, and shrieked in pain while Loki healed him. This time, the god was feeling generous. He extending his healing beyond the man's skin and relieved the pain in his muscles and bones as well. Tony let out a shaky breath as the god released his back, then inhaled sharply when Loki moved his hand to Tony's ass.

“Are you excited for me, pet?”

Tony didn't trust himself to answer. Pepper was relying on him to get through this without angering the trickster god. Loki wasn't waiting for a reply, but had one hand around Tony's balls while the other played with his entrance. Tony's cock started to stiffen against his will. Loki purred and took it into his hand. Tony was shocked to feel Loki's mouth take in his balls and roll them around with his tongue. Tony couldn't suppress a groan, and Loki hummed in response. The god came up for air and slid two wet fingers into Tony's hole.

“You like this, don't you, slave? You gave yourself to me, for my pleasure, but you're enjoying every minute of it.”

The god's hand was still playing with his cock, so Tony's halfhearted “No...” came out between a whine and a moan. It stopped the god abruptly, and Loki's voice was suddenly ice.

“Foolish, defiant mortal! I see you don't deserve kindness. Very well, cruelty is quite familiar to me.” Instantly, a trough of water appeared at Tony's face, its rippling surface less than an inch from the man's nose. 

Tony froze in terror, then let out a babbling keen. “No, no, no, no, no, please Loki, mercy, sir, no no no!”

“You made your decision, slave. I offered you pleasure and you refused me.”

Tony tried to backpedal, to deny that's what he meant, but his fear-addled brain couldn't form words. The lash struck his back, and Tony tried to keep his head away from the trough as he flinched away from the beating. Another crack of the whip, and another, and Tony's writhing was making the water slosh and choke him no matter where he put his face. Loki, for his part, seemed to aim the blows deliberately to force Tony to move forward toward his greatest fear. After a dozen blows, the god tired of the game and simply pushed Tony's head into the water and held him there.

Tony, who'd already been screaming non-stop, choked and gurgled in terror. His vision darkened around the edges and he felt like death was mercifully close. Eventually, the god pulled him back by the hair and allowed him to cough and catch his breath. After a moment, Tony felt his arms being wrenched behind his back and tied there, cruelly tight. His back was on fire from the whipping, and Loki showed no inclination to heal his wounds again. Instead, the god straddled the trough and forced Tony's jaw open with his hands. He pumped Tony's tear-stained and snotty face for two or three swift strokes, then moved behind the engineer. 

Tony was still shaking from the water torture when he felt Loki's cock pressing against his entrance. There was no lube this time, no probing fingers gently easing him open. Loki's cock pushed against him, and Tony could either push back and let him in, or let himself get propelled forward into the trough of water. With his arms behind his back, Tony had no way to brace himself against Loki's assault. He felt himself tearing as Loki entered him, gave way a little to find his face half underwater, shrieked in terror and pushed back only to scream even louder in pain. 

Loki began to fuck him deliberately and slowly - long hard strokes that forced Tony's head into the water trough, giving him a moment to breathe as he pulled back, then another cruel thrust. Tony screamed and cried and babbled pleas that made no sense, mostly “No!” and “Stop!” and “Mercy!” between mouthfuls of water.

Time stopped. In Tony's mind, there were no coherent thoughts. He was on fire with pain, his ass full and burning. He couldn't stop himself flinching away, as far as he could get from Loki's cock. Suddenly, water. He was drowning, he was screaming, he was choking, it was all he could see. Water was his whole world, and it was terrifying. His heart raced out of control, he tried to pull back but had nowhere to go but back onto Loki's cock, pushing it into himself all the way to the base. There was air, he could breathe, but his panicking body couldn't take a proper breath, he was hyperventilating.

All at once, Loki's hands grabbed his face and held him motionless. It took a moment for Tony to realize he was out of the water and could breathe again. Loki's cock was still inside him to the hilt, and Tony felt it twitch as the god spoke. “Your pain and fear excite me, slave.” He paused, as if waiting for his prisoner to reply.

Tony was in no condition to make sense. He wasn't even sure he could speak. Tony begged. “Please, sir, I'm sorry, I was bad! I'll be good, please, I promise, please, stop! I'll do what you want, I'll give you anything, please!” At that moment, Tony meant it – if Loki had asked for the Iron Man suits, all his fortune, and a month of blowjobs, Tony would have given it to him just to get away from that trough of water. Loki's cock in Tony's ass twitched again. Then, to Tony's surprise, the god slowly slid his huge cock out of Tony's hole and petted the man's head like he was a dog.

“I knew you would be a good, obedient slave. You may have a reward for seeing reason.”

The trough of water vanished and Loki conjured up a towel. Tony was still bound painfully on the wooden ramp, but as Loki dried the tears and water from his face and hair, all he felt was relief. He whimpered when Loki put a hand around his cock, and the god whispered, “Fear not, my pet. Your reward is pleasure, not pain.”

Loki's hands grasped Tony's cock firmly and began to play with it, teasing and exploring it until it began to stiffen. Tony was confused. His mind was still half-panicked from the torture but he couldn't deny Loki made his body feel good. Since he was immobilized by his bonds, he had no choice but to remain still and let Loki pleasure him. He'd learned his lesson about refusing the god's whims. This time when Loki took his balls in his mouth, Tony let out a groan and whispered, “Fuck!”

The god let go and murmured, “You don't deserve this, slave. I am a merciful god.” He put his mouth around Tony's cock and ran his tongue around its head. Tony gasped and bucked in unwilling pleasure. 

“Beg for me, slave. Debase yourself and beg me to allow you to come.”

The engineer's mind was too scrambled to object. “Please, Loki. I'm sorry, sir. Take me, do me, I mean... Fuck!” The god's mouth on Tony's cock was too much. He couldn't speak sense. It only took a minute for the god to bring Tony to the edge, and the god finished him off with a few swift strokes.


	15. Witness

Tony wanted to collapse, exhausted, but he was still tied too tightly to the ramp. The god cradled Tony's head and asked, “Did you enjoy that, slave?”

“Thank you, sir,” Tony croaked. He was wary of the god's intentions. He hadn't come himself yet, after all. Tony wasn't deluded enough to think Loki was giving him something for nothing. 

Loki ran a smooth hand across Tony's back, and the buzz of his orgasm gave way to pain from the beating he'd suffered at the god's hands. “I believe it's time to finish what I've started.”

Tony shivered in fear. He wasn't sure of Loki's meaning – was he referring to his own orgasm or Tony's torture?

“It's time for me to take my own pleasure, slave. Sadly for you, I shall need to hear you scream.”

“Please Loki, no! Please, sir, anything! I can't take any more, please, no!” Tony hadn't meant to start begging right away, but his panicked mind seemed to have no control over his mouth.

“Are you denying me, slave? Perhaps I should bring your companion in and take my pleasure from her, instead.”

The thought of Pepper enduring this was more than Tony could bear. He took a deep breath and struggled to overcome his fear. “I'm sorry, sir. Please don't hurt her. Take me instead, please. Please, sir, you said... we agreed... She's too good, she doesn't deserve this. Hurt me.” The words tumbled out of his mouth with little input from his dazed mind. They did little good.

Loki gestured and Pepper appeared in the corner of the room, about ten feet away from where Tony remained pinned to the ramp. The woman's arms were tied to the ceiling with ropes, and a red ball gag was in her mouth. She blinked, eyes adjusting to the light, then saw Tony's predicament and fought to escape. Her bare breasts shook temptingly as she struggled against her bonds, and Loki left Tony's side to stalk up to her. Tony continued to plead with the god as he strained his neck to keep his eyes on the god approaching his lover. The god ignored him.

“You are a lovely creature, aren't you? I can see why my slave begs me not to harm you. Shall I disappoint him?” Pepper was mostly hidden from Tony's view behind Loki's body, but the man could see the defiant set of her jaw. He was terrified that Loki would take offense at something and take out his anger on the innocent woman. 

He let out a sob. “Please! Please, not her. Do anything to me, please, just...” Tony could see Pepper shaking her head, desperately trying to communicate her dissent, but Loki mercifully turned his attention back to the helpless engineer tied on his knees.

“Anything I wish, slave? The torture, the humiliation, you consent to it all?” The god's voice was dangerous. Tony knew the god would take him at his word.

“Yes. Yes, anything. Please, just not... that. Not to her. Please.”

Loki growled, an animalistic sound of approval and pleasure. Tony tried not to look at Pepper's distraught face, the wide eyes, the insistent way she fought against the ropes holding her.

A bamboo cane appeared in Loki's hand, and he presented his cock to Tony's mouth leaving no room for misunderstanding. Tony took a deep breath and started sucking. He barely had time to register the whistle of the cane through the air before it cracked against the back of his thighs. He screamed, and Loki pushed his cock deeper into Tony's throat. The god grabbed Tony's head and held him until he couldn't breathe for the huge cock choking him. He released him just as he was on the verge of passing out, then snapped the bamboo rod against his thighs again. 

Through the terror and pain, Tony realized that every indignity and humiliation he went through would be displayed to the woman he loved. Loki seemed determined to demonstrate to Pepper just how low Tony would debase himself at the god's whim. When Loki tired of beating Tony, he pulled out of his mouth and moved behind him, grasping the man's hips firmly.

Now Tony could see the tears streaming down Pepper's face as Loki took him from behind. He screamed again, although it hurt less than it had last time, and his cries soon gave way to exhausted whimpers and groans. Loki's cock slammed into him in firm, confident strokes. The god took a fistful of Tony's hair in hand and hauled him upright on his knees. “Look in her eyes,” he ordered. “I want you to see her watching me fuck you.”

Tony watched as Pepper cried and struggled to get free, the pain in his raw asshole eclipsed by the horror of seeing Pepper helpless. He wanted to beg Loki to release her, but didn't trust the god.

Clearly, Tony was too silent, because Loki wrapped a hand around his throat and squeezed. “You're not screaming, slave. Am I being too gentle?”

The trough of water reappeared at the base of the ramp, and Loki's powerful hand started pushing Tony's head toward it. Tony's decision not to beg was instantly forgotten. 

“Ah! No, no, please!” He was grateful he couldn't see Pepper's reaction to his rising panic. Tony was vaguely aware of Loki's cock twitching and growing even harder in his tight ass. When Loki simultaneously thrust into him and forced his head into the trough, Tony's world was reduced to single breaths again.

Pain. Water. Panic. Air. Thrust. Scream.

There was no time to feel humiliated, no way to see how Pepper was holding up, no space in Tony's mind for anything but pain and fear and the fight for air. If Loki wanted screams, Tony more than made up for his earlier lack. The god started out slowly and viciously hard, but as Tony's screams grew louder, punctuated with coughs and splutters, the god's pace grew even more frenzied. Pepper's muffled sobs through the gag finally seemed to push him over the edge, and he spilled hot come deep into Tony's ass as he grabbed Tony's hair and roughly pulled his face out of the water. The god's body shook as he pumped his seed into Tony's body. When the man realized the god had finished, his screaming silenced to wracked sobs.

At last, the god pulled out and Tony felt himself released from his bonds and collapsed onto the floor beside the ramp. 

“Your weakness bores me, slave.” Tony shrieked again as the god gave him three biting blows from the bamboo cane. He tried to scramble away but his body was too exhausted to respond. Loki knelt and ran his hand through the open wounds on Tony's back. He turned to Pepper, still bound and gagged in the corner, and wiped Tony's blood onto her bare breasts.

“Your man of iron bought you a night of mercy. You had better pray he can pay tomorrow's price as well.”

With that, he snapped his fingers and Tony was plunged into the endless darkness of the cave again.


	16. Pepper

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to do a chapter from Pepper's perspective, because I don't want her to serve only as decoration / background in the story. We'll be back to Tony's suffering tomorrow.

One moment Pepper was embracing Tony in the dark, and an instant later felt herself bound to the roof by her wrists. Her first reaction was anger. _How dare Loki take me and Tony and treat us like this? Who did he think he was?_

 _A god,_ she wryly answered herself. Fear settled in the pit of her stomach as she struggled and failed to loosen the ropes holding her up. Loki, in the meantime, was taunting Tony and the engineer was being his usual stubborn self. Pepper's heart dropped when Tony volunteered to get tortured in her place. Both the man and the god ignored her protests as Tony gave in to the cruel demands of the god of lies. Pepper got the feeling she'd only been brought here to push Tony into breaking – Loki didn't seem interested in her at all. All of his attention seemed focused on getting a reaction out of the Avenger.

Pepper felt the air change and guessed that the insane god had taken Tony away with him. She was still bound by her hands in the darkness, but could no longer hear her lover struggling.

 _Come on, Bruce, Jarvis... you've got to be on your way!_ Pepper had to believe that their new tracker had worked and the rest of the Avengers were staging a rescue attempt. Loki had barely glanced at her, he couldn't have discovered the device Bruce had implanted in her ankle. She rubbed her other foot against it and was comforted to feel its presence.  _I just need to hold on for a couple of days,_ she told herself.  _It doesn't matter what happens here, Jarvis is sending the Avengers to get us out._ _  
_

Pepper heard a distant scream and shivered. She didn't know where Loki had taken his prisoner, but it sounded like it was somewhere on the other side of the thick wall. Pepper froze and strained to hear. She could make out tones but no words – Loki's voice, low and cruel, Tony's shrill and coming in gasps. No way to know exactly what the god was doing to the man, but from the sounds it could be nothing good. Pepper tried not to think about Tony hurt and bleeding for her. Instead she imagined him in his Iron Man suit, soaring through the sky, strong arms supporting her as he mischievously teased her with the thrill of flight. Those days would be back soon, she promised herself.

The voices from afar had faded. Pepper felt cold – was Tony okay? Did the silence mean he was safe, or did it indicate more chilling news? After what seemed like infinite silence, she heard Tony cry out “NO!” and her heart lept. Pepper instantly hated herself – Tony was being hurt in her place, and she didn't know whether to hope to hear him scream or pray for silence.  _This is so useless!_ She swore. _What good does fighting Loki even do? He's still going to be his usual asshole self whether Tony bows down or lets him beat him half to death._ _  
_

Suddenly, Pepper felt the breath ripped out of her as she was magically transported. She found herself blinded by white lights, still tied but with a gag in her mouth. Her eyes adjusted to see Tony and Loki before her. Her heart dropped at the sight of the man – Tony was naked and kneeling on a ramp. His back was criss-crossed with cuts and welts, wet with blood. He was so thin, made to look even smaller by the lean god towering over him. Tears of anger came to Pepper's eyes – how dare Loki do this to him? She felt her adrenaline pumping and fought the ropes holding her arms.

Once again, Loki used her presence to taunt and threaten Tony into submission. The stupid, stubborn man refused to meet her eyes as he begged the god to spare Pepper and hurt him instead. _Damn it, Tony! Stop playing the hero and getting yourself hurt!_ Pepper fought even harder and promised darkly that as soon as Tony had recovered she'd beat him herself for pulling such a dumb stunt. 

When she saw what Loki had in store for his prisoner, though, she took it back. She'd never imagined Loki would be that vicious, deliberately trying to both humiliate and terrify Tony with abuse after abuse. The god kept his word about leaving Pepper untouched, though. He only spoke to her once more, just before he released them both to the darkness of the cave. The woman couldn't help shivering as Loki dipped his hand in the blood on Tony's back and ceremoniously anointed Pepper's body with it.

At last, Pepper's muscles were on fire as she was released from the ropes in the darkness of the cave. She hurried to find and comfort Tony, cradling his head as tears of helplessness and relief streamed down her face. Two bowls of watery stew and bread appeared in the cave, and she gently coaxed the bleeding man to eat. He screamed and struggled when she tried to make him drink the soup's liquid, seeming not to know her or trust her not to hurt him more.

“Shh, baby, it's okay.” It broke her heart to see him like this, trembling as she soaked the bread in broth and gently fed him. At last Tony fell into a tormented sleep and Pepper allowed herself to cry in the darkness and beg Jarvis to hurry up and find them.  _Never again,_ She told herself.  _I'm not letting that lunatic hurt Tony anymore._ Pepper sat in the black cave and stroked Tony's hair as she desperately weighed her options for the morning.


	17. Bad to Worse

“I think we should give Loki what he wants.”

Tony couldn't believe Pepper's whispered words. _After all the fighting_... “Pepper, you saw what he did to me. What he's done, what he's been doing...” Tony trailed off. _How could she think..._

“That's exactly why. You can't take more of this. _I_ can't take this. Seeing him... you know. Hurting you.”

_This can't be happening. I'm not hearing this._ “Pepper, I can't just give in. I can't give Loki what he wants. It's not like he wants a weapon, or one of my suits. He wants ME, Pep. Everything I am, I'd have to give that up, and I can't. I'm Iron Man. I have to protect people.”

Tony could hear the tears in the woman's voice as she answered. “Why does it have to be you, Tony? Why does it always have to be you saving the world? You're always in harm's way, always being the hero. I can't sit by and watch you do this to yourself.”

“To myself? To MYSELF?” _This is so unfair!_ “Pepper, in case you hadn't noticed, there's an insane fucking alien supervillain out there who's calling himself a god, demanding I bow down and worship him and kneel at his feet while he fucks my planet up the ass. Are you seriously telling me I should agree to that?”

“Tony, you're just one man. You can't fight him. Would you really let him kill you on principle?”

Tony paused a long time before answering. “I'm not just a man, Pepper. I'm a superhero. People look up to me, kids want to be me, I'm a billionaire and a genius and a hero, damn it. American heroes don't submit to terrorist threats, and I'm not going to be the first to set the precedent.”

“So you'd let him kill you.”

“If it comes to that. If help doesn't come, if the Avengers and SHEILD can't find us, then yeah. I'd let Loki kill me a hundred times over before I agreed to kneel and watch him destroy everything I love.”

“Is that so, slave?” Loki's voice from the darkness dripped with ice, and the cave temperature dropped so fast Tony broke out in goose bumps.

Tony froze. _How much did he hear? Well, no point in hiding my feelings now._ “Yeah, Loki, that's exactly how I feel. You can beat me and fuck me and drown me all you want, I'm never giving in to your insane demands.”

“I'll kneel.”

“WHAT?” Tony and Loki seemed equally shocked at Pepper's announcement. _Please tell me this isn't happening._

“I said I'll kneel. I'll get on my knees and call you my god, just please don't hurt Tony anymore.”

“No, Pepper! It's not worth it, he'll trick you. He's a liar, he's-” Tony's words were cut off as Loki cuffed him across the face. He slumped to the floor in defeat.

“Ah, what a charming servant you will make. I am so glad that one of my slaves can see reason. Come, pet.”

\--------

Tony had never felt so alone. He couldn't believe Pepper had pledged her allegiance to Loki, had promised to obey him. He'd always known she wasn't entirely happy about his becoming Iron Man, but siding with the lunatic alien god who'd tried to take over the planet, over him?

The cave was dark, of course, but it seemed even darker without the glimmer of hope he'd had while Pepper had been by his side. He strained his ears to hear something, anything besides the silence of endless stone walls surrounding him, but there was nothing. _If this doesn't break me, nothing will._ Loki had beaten him, bruised him, raped him, tortured him, drowned him, and he'd survived all of it. Now the mad god had stolen the one thing Tony needed more than ever – Pepper's support. Tony had nothing left to fear, and nothing to hope for. He lay on the floor, unmoving, until roused by a kick in the ribs and magically dragged to the white room again.

Pepper knelt at Loki's feet. She was no longer naked, but dressed in skin-tight black leather with green accents – Loki's colours. A gold collar graced her long neck, and Loki's fingers idly played with the elegant gold chain serving as her leash. Her wide eyes bore into Tony's face, but he refused to meet them. _Traitor._ For the first time, he was unbound standing before Loki. Tony tried to stand tall, not acknowledging the power imbalance evident in his nakedness.

“What shall it be today, slave? Will you still hold on to your foolish stubbornness, or see the wisdom of obedience like your sweet lady companion?”

Tony snarled. “You heard me the first time. I'm not giving in.”

“Very well, slave.” Loki smiled and shook his head. “You will come to regret this, I think.” He reached out and grasped Tony's head in both his hands.

The engineer braced himself for the pain and prepared to scream, but felt nothing, only warmth. He'd expected the god to hurt him or perhaps take over his mind, but he couldn't feel anything different. The god released him and Tony remained baffled. _What was that about?_ Tony took a step back, and his body obeyed his commands. _Not mind control, then._ He grunted. _And my voice still works. Unbound, unbeaten, and not under Loki's direct control. What the hell is his game this time?_

“You are puzzled, are you not, slave?” Loki crooned at him. The sound of the god's voice irritated Tony, like it scratched under his skin. “I have more weapons at my disposal than your puny mind could imagine. Fret not. Understanding will come to you shortly.”

Whatever Loki had done to him, it was beginning to take effect. Tony felt his body temperature rising, his skin taking on a sheen of sweat. His nerves prickled and his heart raced with anxiety. He could feel Pepper's eyes on him, along with Loki's cool gaze, and his skin crawled at the thought. Tony croaked out, “What have you done to me?” and could feel his throat constricting.

“I thought you were a genius and a hero, mortal. Must I spell it out for you?”

Tony whimpered. His body was short-circuiting his brain – every nerve ending felt like it was on fire, and yet he craved touch. He fell to the floor and writhed. The cool tiles soothed his skin slightly, but every square inch of skin was aflame with desire. “Some... kind of... aphrodisiac?” Tony was barely able to force the words out. His tongue felt thick and unresponsive. It took all his concentration not to throw himself at the god's feet and beg for relief.

Loki laughed. “You could call it that, I suppose. More of an illness, really. The only way to lower your core temperature is by touch. I've heard you Midgardians can die of a high fever, isn't that right? Best hope you cooperate and earn your cure.”

 


	18. Fever

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter switches in perspective between Tony and Pepper. Tony's not himself, so I wanted Pepper to serve as a more reliable narrator.

Tony's body shook. He could feel the heat coursing through his veins. His skin was so hot it had to be blistering. The floor was cool enough to provide some relief, but no matter which way he twisted his body, not enough skin was touching the tiles to calm the buzzing pain in all his nerve endings. Tony thrashed his limbs, aching for a human touch. _Don't look at Loki or Pepper._ The god had said contact would cool his rising fever. _I'm not going to beg. He won't make me break._

Loki sat in a throne about six feet away from the writhing man. The god was leaning forward in his seat, watching the engineer's reaction to his torment with avid interest. Pepper knelt uncomfortably at his side. She was certain seeing Tony like this would make her ill - her face was almost as green as the god's eyes. She desperately wanted to beg the god for mercy for Tony, but feared his reaction.

Tony was oblivious to everything but the fire in his blood. He couldn't plead or kneel now even if he'd wanted to – his brain was completely incapable of thought. His body was shutting down – spit frothed at his mouth and his limbs began to convulse.

At last, Pepper couldn't stand to watch anymore. “Please, Loki, sir, help him. At least let me comfort him.”

The god gave her golden chain a sharp yank, without looking away from Tony's prone form. “Did I give you permission to speak, slave?”

Pepper shook her head, uncertain whether a reply would be allowed.

“You wish me to have mercy on your man of iron, your hero. You pledged yourself to me, and yet you still think of him. I am your god. He is nothing. Say it.”

Pepper would say anything to make this stop. “Yes, sir. Master. You are everything, you are great, you are a god and Tony is nothing. But please, sir, have mercy.” She pressed her face to the floor and kissed Loki's boots, hoping the display would sway him.

The god turned to look at the redhead prostrated before him. She really was a lovely creature, so quick to try to please him. “I suppose I can be generous, if you will give me my due.” He stroked his servant's head. “Every mercy I allow him, you must pay me in kind.”

“Yes, master, thank you, sir. You are such a kind god, such a wise god. Thank you!” Pepper didn't care what she had to say, what she had to agree to. She couldn't watch Tony die in front of her. “May I go to him now?”

Loki flicked his wrist and Pepper's gold leash and collar disappeared. She didn't wait for confirmation, but rushed to Tony's side. She took his head in both her hands and cradled it on her lap. His skin was burning with fever, but at her touch he opened his eyes.

“Pepper?” His voice was thick with pain. “Please, touch... I need... skin...” He couldn't form ideas, couldn't make words, wasn't even sure what he was asking anymore. His legs were still convulsing, but his arms had latched onto Pepper's face like a life raft.

The woman turned to look back at Loki watching them. The god nodded and smiled maliciously. “He needs your touch, pet. The more of your skin is in contact with his, the easier this will be for him.”

Pepper understood Loki's game now. If she gave herself to Tony, she'd have to give Loki the same access to her body. Probably more, knowing the god. _Damned god of lies!_ She looked down at Tony, shaking and trembling in her arms. He obviously saw her hesitation.

“Pepper, please!” He let out a sob as she let go of the man, detached his hands from her head, and stepped back. “PLEASE!” His body was fully lost to convulsions now, and it broke her heart to let go.

“Shh, Tony, it's okay. I'll touch you, I promise, I just need to get out of these clothes.” Pepper tried not to look at the god as she slipped out of the skin-tight leather pants and unfastened the leather corset. She shivered as she lay her naked body next to the feverish man writhing on the floor.

Without conscious thought, Tony pulled Pepper's body onto his own. Everywhere she touched him, his skin was burning. She had no idea how to help him.

“He needs sex, slave.” Loki's voice startled her out of her indecision. “His fever can't break without it. Of course, if you find the idea distasteful, I'm sure I could accommodate.”

Pepper felt like a ball of lead was sitting in the pit of her belly. She'd known Loki might ask her for sex, might even rape her, but here he had given her the illusion of choice. Tony was in no condition to care who slept with him. He was rubbing himself against her now, desperate for relief. If she gave it to him...

“Pep... Please, I need... You don't... Save yourself, Pep...”

 _Damn Tony and his fucking saviour complex._ Pepper hadn't even realized Tony was still conscious – _He's stronger than I thought_ – and he was trying to protect her, even as he lay half-dying on the floor.

“Shh, Tony-”

“Pepper, please!” Was he begging her to touch him or run away? Tony himself didn't know, but Pepper knew what she had to do. She lay beside him with one leg over his, her arm stroking his chest. Tony gasped and whimpered at the contact. “More,” he groaned.

The redhead straddled him and let both her hands explore his body. He was still burning up, she could feel the heat radiating between her legs. She leaned forward and kissed his neck shyly. This didn't feel right with Loki looking on.

Tony's feverish mind had no such reservations. Without warning, he flipped her onto her back and started devouring her body greedily. His mouth covered her breasts and torso in little kisses, while his hands pinched and teased her ass. Pepper felt herself aroused despite Loki's presence. Tony growled as he moved up to her lips and took possession of her mouth. She could feel his cock, hard and ready, against her. He came up for air and stared down at her with desperate eyes. “Sorry, Pep. I can't... I need-”

She cut him off with another kiss, and he entered her urgently. Pepper gasped as her body tingled with fullness and the heat of his fever. Tony groaned and pumped into her. This wasn't lovemaking, wasn't even fucking. Tony was like an animal in rut, lost to his body's urges. Pepper wasn't wet enough for this, but it was too late to stop, and Tony's mind couldn't bring itself to care. Tony ground into Pepper's tightness and pounded her until tears came to her eyes. It only took a couple of minutes for the man to finish, and he stiffened and screamed as the orgasm hit him.

His body started cooling almost immediately, and after a moment his eyes began to focus. He didn't miss Loki's look of amusement, nor the tears streaking Pepper's cheeks. “Oh, my god, Pepper, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry...”

“Come, slave.” Pepper's stomach clenched in dread as Loki beckoned her forward. The golden collar and chain reattached themselves to her neck as she crawled toward the god on her knees. The god smiled dangerously as he saw her glance at her clothes, discarded on the floor. “You won't be needing those.”


	19. Pepper Pays the Price

Tony found himself against the wall, strung up to the ceiling again. He saw Loki run a possessive hand through Pepper's hair and bristled.

“Don't fucking touch her, Loki.”

“You're hardly in a position to stop me, slave. Besides, she agreed to this, didn't you, pet?”

Pepper shook and whispered, “I'm sorry, Tony, I had no choice. I couldn't watch you die.” Her eyes were brimmed with tears as she tried to pull away from the god's touch.

Tony's blood boiled. His body ached from the fever pains still receding, his arms felt wrenched from their sockets because he was strapped to the damned ceiling again, and he was absolutely livid. _If Loki thinks this is a good way to break me, he's sorely mistaken._ Tony was sick and fucking tired of being a pawn in Loki's mind games.

“You're a complete and utter piece of shit, Loki.” _And now, I'm going to do something I'll probably regret later._

The temperature in the room dropped suddenly, and Tony rushed to continue before Loki's anger led him to do something drastic. “You're a bastard and a coward. You think you're so much better than us, but the only way you can get what you want is with tricks and lies and threatening people. In a fair fight, I'd kick your ass and you know it. So you kidnap and try to rape my girlfriend, to force me to play your stupid games? You're pathetic.”

Tony trembled with rage as he ranted at the god. Loki's anger was coming off him in icy waves, and the god stepped away from Pepper to tower over Tony's bound form.

“You are a fool, Stark. I had been prepared to be kind, but you are too uncivilized to deserve such mercy.”

“Uncivilized? That's rich. I'm not the one raping prisoners while they're bound and gagged or keeping people in caves. And you want me to bow down to you as some kind of master race? I'm not very good at kneeling, buddy, and you're not exactly motivating me to reconsider.”

Loki stood over Tony, radiating fury, and the man was certain he was about to be in serious pain. Suddenly, Loki laughed darkly. “So you want me to prove my race's mastery over yours? Is that what you're asking, mortal?”

“Not my race versus yours, Loki. Just you and me, man to man. Leave everyone else out of it.” _God, I'm cocky,_ Tony thought to himself. _Even with my arms tied to the ceiling, I don't trust anyone else to save the world better than I could do it._

“So you would be a champion of your race. And then what? After I have defeated you, after you have fallen, then will you kneel?”

“You'll have to fucking kill me, first.”

“Your challenge intrigues me, mortal. I shall consider it...” Tony breathed a sigh of relief, but too soon. Loki turned to look at Pepper. “... after your lovely companion fulfils her share of our bargain.”

Tony lost it. “You sick, degenerate psycho! I'm going to rip your alien dick off and shove-”

“SILENCE!” Tony's voice cut off abruptly and he found himself incapable of speech. His mouth opened and closed as he gaped like a fish out of water, his lips and tongue moved to form words, but the god's magic had silenced Tony's vocal cords. The engineer fought furiously against his bonds and mentally cursed the so-called god and his ridiculous magic.

Loki was impervious to Tony's hatred. The god turned away from the struggling man and focused his attention on Pepper, who'd stayed in indecisive silence on her knees. She met Tony's eyes now and he mouthed _I'm sorry_. She blew a ghost of a kiss toward him before biting her lip and bowing her head before Loki's imposing figure.

“And now, my pet, I believe there is a debt to be paid.” He combed her hair between his fingers and turned her chin upward to face him. “I am your god, slave, and I demand worship.”

Pepper felt cold with dread. _I asked for this,_ she reminded herself. _This bought Tony his life._ She turned to look at her engineer, whose eyes were so wild he looked almost feral. Loki wrenched her head back to him. _I'm sorry, Tony._

“Undress me, slave.”

Pepper took a deep breath. _I can do this._ Loki's leather breeches were complicated, and his alien outfit caused Pepper to fumble a few times as she relieved him of his clothes. The god groaned as his cock sprang free. Pepper gasped at the size of it. _He's... I can't... That's... huge. How did Tony..._ She looked back at the man again, tears in her eyes. “Forgive me.”

The god's warning growl pulled her attention back to Loki. “I grow angry, slave. We had an agreement.”

Pepper reluctantly took the god's cock in her hands and stroked it. Loki sighed as she cupped his balls and tightened her grip on his staff. After a moment, he pushed her head closer to him and Pepper took his cock into her mouth.

Loki tasted of salt and spices and firm, cool flesh. The god held Pepper's head and guided her in pleasuring him. The woman listened to Tony struggling behind her, concentrated on the pain in her knees from the tile floor, tried to focus on anything but Loki's cock speeding up as she took his length in her throat. Her jaw ached and the back of her throat was surely bruising from the god's violent thrusts.

At last, he pushed her back and flicked his wrist, and a bed appeared at the centre of the room. Pepper's eyes skimmed over the soft sheets and pillows to settle on the restraints at each corner.

“Please...” The entreaty caught in her throat as Pepper tried to protest.

“Please what, slave?”

Pepper's mind scrambled to think of words to say. She didn't even know what to beg for. The god of mischief would twist her plea around to hurt her, or Tony.

“Just... I... Please be kind,” she answered lamely. “Sir,” she hastened to add.

Loki studied her for a moment, considering, and Pepper wondered what devious tricks he was coming up with. Sure enough, he conjured his magic staff and flicked it toward her.

“I could make you enjoy it,” the god offered.

Pepper couldn't help it. She retreated as far away from the god as she could get, putting the bed between them, her back pressed against the wall by Tony's side. She'd seen Clint after Loki had taken him over, and it hadn't been pretty.

Loki chuckled. “Foolish girl. It is not so easy to escape me, and your Man of Iron cannot help you. One touch from this and you'll be falling over yourself to bed me.”

Tony was kicking and struggling beside her, wild with anger. Pepper reached an arm out to comfort him, and the touch of her hand stilled the man. Her voice was trembling as she met Loki's eyes. “I said I'd give you my body willingly, to save Tony's life.” She squeezed Tony's arm and continued. “Please don't take my will away. I submit to you. Sir.” Pepper's thoughts raced as she awaited Loki's reply. _Not the staff, no mind control, please... Anything but that... Please don't hate me, Tony._ She squeezed the engineer's arm again, then moved hesitantly toward the bed, never taking her eyes off the naked god across the room.

Loki nodded at last. Pepper yelped as she was magically swept through the air to find herself on the bed, her arms outspread. Her arms and legs weren't tied yet, but she didn't dare move them, nor look away from the god prowling toward her with catlike grace.

He started by tying her wrists by hand. It was an oddly personal gesture, and Pepper's breath hitched as Loki strapped her into the restraints. _This is it, there's no going back now._ When he was finished, Loki gripped her throat tightly.

“I am leaving your legs unbound. If you fight me, if you kick me, there will be pain, I promise you this. Do you understand?”

Speaking was out of the question, but Loki clearly expected a reply. Pepper's eyes bulged. _Can't breathe!_ She nodded, and suddenly there was air again.

Loki brushed her neck with the back of his hand as he released her throat. “There's a good pet.” Pepper gasped as the trail left by his fingers erupted in fire and ice. “I can dispense pleasure as easily as pain, slave, if you earn it.” The god gazed at the woman as if he expected a response.

“Yes, sir,” Pepper whispered. She worried what Tony was thinking, tied off to her left just at the edge of her peripheral vision. He wasn't struggling anymore – was he angry at her for giving in to the mad god?

A moment later, concern for Tony was driven from her mind as the god began his assault on her senses in earnest. Loki's touch chilled Pepper's skin to the point of pain, then transformed into tingly burns that sent electric shocks through Pepper's body as his fingerprints melted away. The woman's body responded against her will – each brush of Loki's fingertips against her arms, her breasts, her belly, left Pepper trembling and whimpering with desire. Loki's cold stare reminded her of a predator as he tested her reactions to his touch. He twisted a nipple between his fingertips, and Pepper shrieked as it grew encased in ice.

_This is too much, I can't-_

Her thoughts were cut off as Loki's mouth bit down hard on her overstimulated nipple. Pepper screamed.

Loki purred in pleasure. “This feels good, doesn't it, pet?”

Pepper let out a sob as she replied, “It hurts.” She sounded pathetic even to her own ears.

Loki was unamused. Her throat was in his hands again. “Master,” he corrected her.

“I'm sorry, master.” Her voice was shrill in desperation. Loki's fingers around her throat tightened, his nails digging in to her skin, as tears sprang to her eyes. Pepper had no breath to protest. When at last the god released her from his grip, the sensations were too much to process. Her throat was on fire. Loki's sharp nails left raised welts along her sides and belly. Every part of her body was burning her with cold or blistering in the fiery aftermath. Pepper was writhing against her restraints, and she couldn't have said whether her cries were of pleasure or pain.

Suddenly Loki's mouth was pressed against the inside of her thigh, inches from her pussy, and Pepper's thrashing stilled in fear. Hot kisses moved up closer to- _No, no, no..._

Pepper's mind exploded as the god's tongue began exploring the folds of her pussy. Whatever magic he'd been using on the rest of her body was amplified by a thousand on the sensitive skin of her clit. The god only tasted her for a moment, then moved back to press the head of his huge cock against her opening. Pepper was dripping wet despite herself, and Loki entered her easily.

Pepper gasped. _Too much, too much!_ The god fucked her slowly, giving her time to adjust to his length and girth. Pepper could hear Tony behind her, resuming his struggle to escape. She groaned and sobbed, and Loki grabbed a fistful of her hair. He twisted her head so she could see Tony, then drove his cock into her sharply. Pepper screamed, and the man fought the ropes even harder.

“She is mine, Stark,” the god crowed. “My slave, to do with as I will.”

Tony's eyes burned with hatred as Loki taunted him, but with his voice stolen he had no way to protest.

The god continued fucking Pepper languidly, deliberately, keeping eye contact with the engineer all the while. Tony's lips formed curses, but the god just grinned maliciously.

“I could kill her, you know.” A silver dagger appeared in Loki's hand as he addressed the helpless engineer. “I could slit her throat right in front of you, and you couldn't do or say anything to prevent it.” Loki held the blade to the side of Pepper's neck. It was cold against her skin, and immediately all other sensation faded to the background as her mind focused on the threat.

“Please, master, have mercy, please!” Pepper's pleading only served to provoke Loki more. He silenced her with a look and pressed the blade into her skin hard enough to draw blood.

“She saved you, Man of Iron, and now it's your turn.” The god ignored Pepper's struggles and watched Tony. “If you can free yourself from your bonds before I finish taking my pleasure of her, I will not spill her life's blood in front of your eyes. Or, if you can make a sound while under my enchantment, I will allow you to take her place in my bed.”

Tony's chest heaved as he studied the god, weighing his options. Pepper pressed her head back as far as possible into the pillows. The blade followed her, and she whimpered in fear. At last, Tony nodded his assent and Loki removed the knife from Pepper's throat and placed the razor-sharp blade inches from her face.

“Where were we, pet?” Loki released his hold on her hair and traced a finger through the blood he'd drawn. “Oh yes, here.” The god flashed his teeth in a maniacal smile and resumed thrusting into his captive. He leaned down to whisper in her ear.

“It excites me when you scream, pet. Shall we give your lover some motivation to hurry?” Loki twisted her nipple and Pepper yelped as a sharp burst of electricity shot from his fingers.

“Oh, you clench up so nicely around my cock when I shock you,” Loki gloated. “You should try that, Stark, it's quite exhilarating,” he continued conversationally. Tony twisted and shook as Loki shot jolt after jolt of electricity into Pepper's writhing body. The god never stopped thrusting violently, and soon the woman was screaming and begging him to stop.

“Oh, no, slave,” Loki crooned. “If I finish, it's all over, remember?” He moved a sweaty lock of hair from Pepper's brow with the blade of the dagger, and Pepper groaned. “In fact, I'm so close to coming,” he whispered as he slid his hard cock in and out of her, “we've just about reached the moment of truth.” He withdrew from her pussy and pressed against her mouth until she opened and took him in. The god gasped and moaned, and Pepper could taste the precome as he quivered in her mouth.

_Come on Tony, please!_

Loki stopped moving and pulled out to gloat at the imprisoned Iron Man one last time. “You're still tied, Stark. Do you have anything to say to your lady love before I send her to the infinite void of the next realm?” The knife glistened in his hand.

Pepper held her breath, praying for a miracle from any god she could think of that wasn't the one currently threatening her life. Tears slid down her cheeks as she desperately hoped for Tony's voice to break the silence, knowing it was impossible. Her eyes pressed shut. She didn't want to see the knife coming.

Just as she was resigning herself to her death, Pepper heard a whistle. Her eyes flew open to see Loki's face flicker from shock to irritation. Tony looked terrified but triumphant as he met the god's eyes with bated breath, his lips still pursed.

“Clever mortal. You found a loophole after all. I hope you don't mind if I allow the lovely Miss Potts to finish before I release her?” He looked expectantly at the engineer, who whistled and shook with rage and obvious denial. Loki laughed darkly. “I'll take that as your consent.”

The god presented his cock to Pepper, forcing her jaw open when she failed to respond quickly enough. Loki's anger at losing his own game was evident in the brutal way he fucked Pepper's mouth. She had no chance to adjust her breathing or prepare herself for Loki's resumed assault, and Pepper choked back a panicked scream as Loki took her. Mercifully, the god was as close as he'd threatened, and within moments his powerful hands held her head immobile while his come hit the back of her throat. The god groaned in satisfaction before releasing Pepper's head from his grasp. He picked up the knife and held it in front of the frightened woman's face.

“Please, sir, no, don't, please...” Pepper heard Tony whistling again as she begged for her life.

“I am a god. I need not hold to bargains made with helpless mortal prisoners. Your life is mine, pet.” Pepper closed her eyes and felt the cold blade against her throat.

“Then make it quick, sir.” She could hear Tony desperately struggling, but had no way to turn her head to look at him. She wasn't sure she could bear to see him at a time like this anyway.

“No. I am a just god. I will honour our agreement. Sleep, slave.”

And with that, Pepper's world was plunged into darkness again.

 


	20. Despair Takes Over

Tony sat alone on the floor of the white room, released from his bonds but too exhausted to move. Pepper was gone, Loki had disappeared right after he'd taken her away, and Tony could barely hold his head up anymore.

The door opened suddenly, and Tony found himself staring uncomprehendingly at... Natasha?

“Come on, Stark, let's get you out of here.” The Russian extended her hand, but Tony hesitated. He was struck with shame – filthy, naked, bloodied and bruised, and with Loki's come dried onto his thighs... what right did he have to be rescued now, after all this? After failing to stop Loki raping Pepper?

Tony followed the Black Widow in a fog as she led him through a maze of hallways. His dazed mind and battered body were terrified that Loki would find him, would somehow prevent this. He wanted to beg Natasha to stop and rescue Pepper instead, but didn't dare make a noise that might raise the alarm. Within minutes, Tony found himself being helped into a helicopter. Steve was wrapping him in a blanket and putting a comforting arm around his shoulder.

That's when Tony lost it. He sobbed into Steve's arms, shaking with all the emotion of the past weeks of torture.

“I expected more of you, Stark.” Natasha was looking at him coldly, and Tony raised his head in fear. “You let him take Pepper. Not only that, it's obvious that you fucked Loki, Stark. You stink of him.”

Tony shook with negation. “I didn't... I had no choice... He... I...” His eyes were filling with tears as he tried to find words for his denial. He could feel Steve pulling away from him in disgust.

“You're not under the influence of the Tesseract.” Clint spoke up from across the helicopter's cargo hold. “I could tell if you were. That means you agreed to this. I always knew you were a slut, Stark, but Loki? That's going too far, man.”

“I had to save... to protect... Pepper. Loki, he-”

Captain America cut him off before Tony could explain. “Then where is Pepper, Tony? If you saved her, where is she?”

“I don't know why we bothered rescuing you. You think with your dick, Tony.” Natasha snapped. “You're a piss-poor excuse for a superhero, and if it were up to me, you'd be off the team.”

The others murmured their agreement as Tony desperately met each of their eyes, trying to find someone who understood, who sympathized. He saw only cold anger.

“That's because he's not a hero. Remember? Take him out of his suit, and he's nothing but a dirty whore who sleeps with the enemy. Can you fly without your suit, Iron Man? Maybe now is a good time to find out. The smell of you is making me sick.” Steve ripped the blanket away from Tony and pushed him toward the open door at the back of the cargo hold.

Tony's head spun and his mouth was dry as he looked down into the clouds below the helicopter. _Maybe they're right,_ he thought miserably. _I couldn't save Pepper, I couldn't do anything right. She chose Loki over me. What is there left?_ He scanned his team's faces for any hint of friendship, any clue that there remained some respect or trust. He found none. Even Bruce, his science buddy, was looking at him with disappointment and disgust. _I'm done, then._

It was so easy to let himself slip out the door of the helicopter and into the clouds. It felt nothing like flying – the wind roared in his ears, but he had no control. His limbs flailed as he fell backwards through the air. Tony closed his eyes and gave in to the feeling. It didn't matter anymore, he only had moments to live. _Nobody cares anyway. The great Tony Stark, falling to his death, alone and unobserved. The fish will probably eat my body before it washes up anywhere. Wouldn't Howard be furious to know what ended up of his legacy?_

He was startled from his last thoughts by a powerful hand gripping his wrist. He prayed it'd be Rhodey, but opened his eyes to Loki. “You didn't think you'd get away that easily, did you?”

And Tony was back in the white room, breathless, confused. _Did that even happen, or was it another of Loki's tricks?_

“Illusion, reality, they are much the same, slave. It is so much easier to construct your deepest nightmare when it is based on a kernel of truth.”

 


	21. Concessions

Tony sank to his knees on the floor, holding his face in his hands. _That wasn't really the team. They don't hate me, right? That's all Loki. Probably._ He tried to calm his breathing and focus on his immediate surroundings. He was back in the too-white room again, back in Loki's hands after his illusion of freedom had been shattered. Freedom that had been more terrifying than all the tortures he'd been through in here. _Would Natasha despise me for kneeling before the god?_ He had a sickly feeling he knew the answer to that. A groan escaped his lips, and some small part of Tony was relieved to note that his voice had returned.

“On your feet, slave.” Loki's imperious tone roused Tony from his self-pity. He briefly considered disobeying, but decided he'd rather be standing face to face with the god. He'd spent enough time cowering in the past few weeks.

“What do you want, Loki?” His voice was flat, exhausted.

The god raised an eyebrow at his tone but didn't force the issue. “I want to discuss the terms of your challenge, mortal. We must have rules of engagement as well as...” The god paused for effect. “... _consequences_ for defeat.”

“No magic.” Tony blurted it out without thinking.

“No.” Loki's denial was just as emphatic. “What, would you have us fist-fight? Don't be ridiculous.”

“What, and you with full powers against me naked and unarmed is fair?” Tony tried to keep his voice indignant, but it was bordering on shrill with desperation.

Loki rolled his eyes and sighed. “You would not be unarmed, slave. I would allow you your suit.”

Tony's jaw dropped. _I never expected THAT concession._

The god smirked. “I may have you naked underneath your armour, though, for ease of punishment after I've defeated you. You have yet to learn your place, and I will need to take steps to remind you of it.”

Tony growled. “Like fuck.”

Loki grinned again. “Why, Stark, that's exactly what I had in mind.”

“You're sick.”

“Don't tell me you don't like it, Stark,” Loki mocked.

“I don't,” Tony replied honestly. “Not like this. I'm as kinky as the next guy, but I don't get off on being beaten half to death.”

“Then perhaps I can find something a little more to your liking,” Loki growled, his voice dropping seductively. 

The tone of the god's voice took Tony by surprise, and he couldn't help feeling...  _No! Loki's an enemy, I can't trust him, he's not making me feel like this._ Tony ignored the clenching of unbidden desire in his gut and changed the subject. “We were talking terms.”

The god looked amused but accepted the redirection. “Ah, yes. I shall have my powers, and you shall be allowed your suit. Does that sound fair?”

“No hostages,” Tony added quickly.

Loki snorted in derision. “You mortals break so easily when I threaten innocent lives. Very well, I will not capture any innocents during our battle.”

“That means Pepper goes free, too.” Tony knew he was pushing his luck, here, but his love for Pepper was the biggest chink in his armour and Loki knew it.

“You ask a great deal, slave. One pet armed, and the other released? The spoils of my victory must be very great indeed to justify liberating so obedient a servant.”

“She goes free or the deal's off.” Tony knew it was an empty threat – this deal was his only chance to fight for his release – but if he read Loki right the god wouldn't back down from a challenge.

“With your lady safe, what guarantee do I have that you won't tuck your tail between your legs and flee?”

This time it was Tony's turn to laugh. “Believe me, with Pepper safe and my armour on, nothing is going to stop me ripping your limbs from your body.”

Loki bared his teeth. “Then I believe we have set the conditions of our challenge. Now we have only to determine the consequences of your defeat.” The god circled Tony. “After you lose, I will break you.” Tony swallowed as Loki paused to trace the line of the engineer's jaw with a slim finger. “You will be subject to such exquisite torture that you will know no difference between pleasure and pain. You will forget you ever had a life before you became my slave. There will be no thought of rebellion or escape. Your devastation will be complete. You will be mine.”

Tony shivered. _I'm stronger than he thinks. He can't do that. I will win.. I have to win._

“And when I defeat you, Loki? What do I get then?”

The god dismissed Tony's query with a flick of his wrist. “That will never happen. Declare whatever ridiculous punishments you like.” Loki turned on his heel and disappeared without even waiting for Tony to reply, leaving the engineer shaking with anger and frustration.

 


	22. Love and Loss

“Are you out of your _mind_?”

It was the response Tony had expected, but he had to try to explain. “Pepper, it's the only way. This might be my one chance to fight him.”

“He'll kill you, Tony. Remember New York? You had the whole team with you and you still only barely got Loki contained. What do you think you can do on your own?”

_Ouch. That stung!_ “I kicked his ass in Stuttgart, if you remember.”

“Tony, you're injured and half-starved. You've been tortured for weeks, you can barely think straight, and suddenly you're going to go up against a god and win? Listen to yourself!”

The engineer fell silent. Maybe Pepper was right, but he couldn't admit it. This was his only chance to defend himself, and he couldn't let it pass him by. He paced the room, trying to gather his thoughts. It was hard to think while Pepper was sitting there watching him.

The redhead was perched on the foot of the bed – the same bed Loki had taken her on, the pillows still marked with brown splatters where the god had slid the edge of the knife blade across her throat. Tony didn't know how she could sit there, only a few feet away from the harsh reminder of how close Loki had come to killing her.  _How close I came to failing her. How close I came to losing her._ Tony was sure the god left the bed there as a deliberate reminder of his weakness. 

That and Pepper's clothing.

Tony was still naked, of course, but Pepper was back in the leather getup Loki had dressed her in before. The corset hugged her curves and accentuated her breasts, and the form-fitting pants made her look fantastic, but the whole outfit marked her as Loki's. The god obviously dressed her that way to make Tony feel powerless. It was working, but Tony couldn't admit that, either.

Tony gathered his thoughts and began again, slowly and deliberately. He couldn't look at Pepper, so he faced the wall as he spoke.

“I'm going to fight Loki because I have to. This is too important to let him win. He wants to destroy our way of life, and it's not something I can stand aside and let him do.”

“Tony, you-”

“No.” He interrupted Pepper before she could break his train of thought. “Please, I need to say this.” He paused long enough for her to assent, then continued. “I can't have you here while I'm fighting him. He's using you to destroy me. I love you so much, Pep. Watching him hurt you, seeing you kneel at his feet... it's breaking me more than anything else he could do.” Tony wiped tears from his eyes and steadied his voice. “Please. He's going to let you go home. I'm going to fight him, I'm going to win, but I need to know you're safe at home, waiting for me.” Tony finally turned to look expectantly at Pepper. It was her turn to be on the edge of tears.

“God, I hate this.”

“I know, Pepper. It's almost over, though. You're going home, it'll be okay.”

“Not that. This.” Pepper gestured at nothing in particular. “Everything, all this. SHIELD, the Avengers, Loki, Iron Man, everything. There's a crisis and someone says jump, and just like that your life is on the line and people are trying to kill you. And I'm supposed to sit back like a princess in my tower, waiting for you to save the day and come find me when you're victorious.” Now Pepper really was crying, and Tony didn't know what to do. He sat next to her on the bed, but she threw his arm off her shoulder when he tried to comfort her.

“It's not a fucking fairy tale, Tony, and I hate it. You come back bruised and battered, with nightmares and terrors and meltdowns, and I'm supposed to be your stupid cheerleader dancing on the sidelines. Well, I'm not. And I'm done.” She stood up. “I'm sorry, Tony.”

Tony's mind was blank. “Sorry?” Everything had slowed down as if the world had stopped in its orbit.

“I love you, but I need to look after myself, too. This jumping from crisis to crisis is killing me. I can't do this anymore.”

Tony always knew he and Pepper were too good to be true, that it was going to end one day, but he didn't think it would be like this. He'd imagined going down in a burst of fiery passion, him apologizing for one fuck-up too many and Pepper storming out in violent anger, never to return. But this? This was cold inevitability staring him in the face, passion replaced with exhausted finality. Her silent tears and this aching hollowness in his chest were far worse. She was asking him to give up his very way of life as much as Loki was, and her presence in his life was the drive that had kept him fighting. He almost thought of taking out his arc reactor and giving it to her – melodramatic, but she was ripping his heart out already, why not physically take it with her as she left? As it was, he sank to the floor at the foot of the bed, staring at his feet, silent and unmoving, until Loki came to take her away.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really do like Pepper Potts, but I'm not having her treat Tony very nicely. Sorry, Tony, but you're too hard to break and I needed Pepper to give you a bit of a push. On the plus side, now you have even more reason to defeat Loki and punish him for being the straw that broke the camel's back.


	23. Fire and Ice

_I'm alive!_ Tony told himself this as if it mattered, as if saying it would make it come true. He was in his suit. This used to be life-affirming, glorious. Now it just... was. Tony could almost believe the suit was empty inside, a hollow shell like he was himself. Like he'd felt since Pepper had...  _No! Not now, no time for this._

Tony ached for Jarvis's voice to ground him, but somehow Loki had disabled his AI when he'd brought Tony the suit and ordered him to prepare for battle.  _Better get on with it._ The engineer ran through the motions of transforming the broken prisoner of the past few weeks into Iron Man again.

_Power 100%. Thrusters operational. Repulsors functioning. I've always been good at repulsion._ Tony's thoughts leapt onto the tangent before he could banish them.  _Pushing people away is my biggest strength_ .

Tony willed his mind to stop and focus. _Weapons armed and ready._ Tony had half an hour to prepare himself, thirty minutes to come up with a battle plan to defeat the arrogant alien god determined to break him. There was no time for self-pity. Tony's mind wasn't cooperating, though. Even when he pushed his fight with Pepper to the back of his consciousness, he was missing his team.

Tony was struck with the harsh realization that Iron Man had always fought with backup. The whole team in New York: Clint being his eyes in the sky, Steve coordinating the attack like a true leader, Natasha containing the enemy while the Hulk and Thor destroyed the infantry, leaving Tony to save the day in one terrifying near-death experience after another. None of which he'd escaped on his own – his suits had saved him, technology to the rescue in his heart-stopping plunge from the tower, just like that time with Extremis and Killian and Pepper.  _Don't think about Pepper._

And then that plunge from space, when he'd passed out after personally delivering a nuke to the Chitauri in the void – his tech had failed, and it was the Hulk who'd broken his fall and brought him back from the brink of death, and Natasha who'd hit on the real way to stop the invasion. Damn it, he needed his team. Why hadn't the Avengers tracked him and come for him? Where the fuck was Jarvis? 

“Time check, J?”

Only silence as a response, but a countdown appeared on his display. Three minutes.  _Fuck._

“Guess I'm rushing in head first with guns blazing. Best I'm gonna come up with.” The plan felt strangely satisfying – no tricks, no strategy, just pure firepower.

As the countdown timer ticked toward zero, Tony felt himself transported out of the white room and into...  _REALLY?_

_Loki must be trying to fuck with my mind again._ Tony knew this landscape – scrubby trees clawing their way out of dry, hard-packed earth, broken up by low, rocky hills. Had Loki really brought him to Afghanistan for their battle, or was this another trick to throw Tony off his game?  _Not gonna work. I kicked ass last time I was here, no backup required._

Loki was nowhere to be seen. Tony felt a flare of irritation as he launched himself into the air to get a better view of his surroundings.

“Come on, Loki. Show yourself,” he called. “We have a score to settle!”

Without a word, Loki appeared out of thin air 200 feet above the ground. Iron Man didn't hesitate – he slammed into the god in a midair tackle and drove him straight into a rocky outcrop at full speed.

Loki grunted in surprise but managed to get a shield around himself before the impact, simultaneously repelling his attacker. The suit spun as Iron Man shot backward, but Tony got it stabilized an instant later to blast a pulse beam at Loki's heart. The god rolled away as the stone behind him shattered, and then counterattacked with a bolt of energy from his sceptre. Iron Man's repulsor made short work of it, buying him time to fly at Loki again. Despite all the weapons built into the armour, Tony itched to pound Loki into the dirt with his fists, Hulk-style.

So every time Loki moved away to use a longer-range attack, Tony advanced to close the gap and injure the god more personally. The trickster had an annoying habit of disapparating just as Iron Man's fist was connecting with the god's teeth, but still Tony got a few good hits in. Loki was looking bruised at least, a little worse for wear, while Tony had yet to sustain an injury inside his Iron Man suit. The battle was supremely unsatisfying, though, as Loki darted around avoiding more shots than connected by a factor of three.

“Loki, hold still, you bastard!” Tony cried out in frustration and anger. Suddenly Loki was in his face, gripping Iron Man's wrists hard enough to immobilize him. The god's green eyes bore into Tony's as if the faceplate wasn't there, and Tony gasped in pain as his hands began to freeze inside their gauntlets.

“Still enough for you, pet?” Loki sneered at Tony's predicament as Tony struggled against the god's grip.

The humiliating nickname was enough to bring Tony out of his panic. Without any thought to the potential danger to himself, the engineer engaged his flamethrowers and the god was engulfed in a pillar of flame.

Loki pulled back instantly and reappeared a safe distance away. He looked down at his blistered forearms and back at Tony with disbelief. “You will pay for that, slave.” Fury rolled off the god in waves.

Tony was beyond caring. He'd found a weakness and he was going to exploit it. Of course Loki was sensitive to fire – hadn't Thor told him that his brother had been a Frost Giant before he'd been adopted and brought to Asgard? The fire was the first weapon Tony had found that seemed to truly hurt the god, and he had plenty more where that came from.

With Tony's new choice of weapon, the fight's intensity upped significantly. Loki was no longer playing around, toying with his prisoner. Instead, the god kept his distance, shooting bolts of razor-sharp ice at Iron Man's suit, avoiding the answering blasts of flame. Tony stayed in the air, the thrusters giving him more manoeuvrability for both attack and defense, and managed to hit Loki with several bolts of fire, although the god's lightning-fast reflexes meant Tony still missed the bulk of his shots. 

One particularly nice blast of fire hit Loki right in the head, lighting up the god's helmet in a wreath of flame as Loki's ebony hair went up in smoke. “Not so pretty now, are you, Loki?” In hindsight, Tony recognized that taunt as the turning point of the battle. Loki was furious, and the ice spears began flying so fast Tony couldn't hope to evade them all. His display was showing the suit's power ebbing, and the barrage was pushing him back against a rock wall. At last the inevitable spear got through his defenses, and Tony's right gauntlet was pierced by a spike of ice, pinning him against the sandstone cliff at his back. His hand erupted in agony as the ice burned him. Immobilized and unable to aim the weapons on the right side of his body, Tony struggled to free himself as Loki swooped in to finish the job.

Magical hands appeared at Tony's left side, flying through the air trying to trap and disarm him. Tony's flamethrowers were at 5% fuel remaining, but he relished Loki's hiss of fury and pain as he blasted the disembodied hands with the last of his fire. He was going to lose, he was pretty sure of that now, but he wasn't going down without a fight, and he could make sure he hurt Loki on his way down.

The battle was over in minutes. Loki's ghost hands eventually got Tony pinned, and the engineer howled in pain as he was forced to his knees with his hand still pinned by the ice spike embedded through his palm, now twisted at a painful angle high over his head. The god ripped the face mask and helmet off the suit and gripped Tony by the hair. There was a grim finality to the dull clatter of Tony's armour bouncing discarded across the dusty ground.

Unbidden tears sprang to Tony's eyes. He hadn't let himself imagine this moment, this utter defeat. His chest heaved as he gasped for breath, his body slumping into itself despite the pain in his trapped hand. It was a rock-bottom moment for the engineer. He'd lost everything he'd been fighting for: his freedom, love, his team, his future... It felt like there was no further down to go, and yet he knew Loki had barely begun his education in torture and pain. And so, Tony knelt and sobbed at the god's feet.

To Tony's surprise as much as his own, Loki's hand loosened in his prisoner's hair, and began cradling Tony's head comfortingly. The ice spike pinning Tony's hand melted and his injured hand was caught and gently lowered to the ground. His armour dissolved and Tony was naked and huddled in Loki's protective arms, crying inconsolably.

 


	24. Loki's Daydream

Loki ran his fingers through his pet's hair and contemplated his next move. He'd envisioned this victory countless times, of course, thrilling at the thought of Stark admitting defeat. He'd imagined gloating over the infuriating mortal finally brought low. Oh yes, he'd known exactly what he'd wanted to do once he'd plucked the Man of Iron from his shell.

Loki reflected on the fantasies he'd entertained. _Stark would be pinned to the cliff with manacles of ice. On his knees, of course. His mouth would be around Loki's cock, naturally, but even in defeat Stark would be too proud to submit willingly. And so Loki would be forced to slap him until he was performing to the god's satisfaction._

Loki hummed in longing at the thought, and ran a gentle finger through the trail of a tear on the mortal's cheek. He thought of licking it off and groaned again. Stark had been crying in his fantasy, too, although not so broken as this. Loki had pictured tears of frustration.

_His slave's anger at his own defeat would turn to silent tears after his voice failed from screaming. The dust raised from their fucking on the desert floor would colour his prisoner's face like war paint down the path of each tear. The lines would echo the long stripes along Stark's forearms and biceps as his icy bonds melted under the desert sun. Dusty rivulets would slide down the mortal's arms for Loki to trace, first with his tongue in the heat of his passion, and later with a lash to remind Stark of his place. Loki would play Stark like an instrument, drawing groans and screams and gasps each in their turn._

It was with deep regret that Loki concluded his fantasy would have to wait for another day. Stark was much too broken to play his role, and there was no fun in destroying an already-shattered toy. On the other hand, Loki was achingly hard and the Man of Iron was naked and sobbing. For some reason, the god of mischief had always found pain and humiliation irresistible, and Stark was triggering every dirty fantasy Loki had ever had. His mind made up, the trickster resumed stroking his prisoner's hair.

“Shh, it's okay. No more pain. Only pleasure now, pet.”

 


	25. Ceasefire

Tony felt Loki's magic the moment the spell was cast, but he was too exhausted to fight it. Warmth spread from Loki's hands like melting chocolate, rich and dark. This wasn't like the last time – it wasn't fiery lust but calm and comfort that emanated from the god's fingers. The magic soothed the sting of defeat and quieted the dark thoughts that were threatening to consume Tony.

He knew he should be afraid, but it was such a relief to silence his mind that Tony revelled in the feeling. His loss to Loki, Pepper's rejection, the lack of a rescue attempt, all these regrets were dampened by the sense that he'd done his best. The anxious drive to do more, throw himself against a problem until he bulldozed his way through every obstacle, that was silenced and the calm was almost blissful.

Tony still hurt, physically and emotionally, but he'd overcome it before and felt sure of himself for once in his life. He looked up at the god cradling his head. “What did you do to me? That spell was like the best drug I've ever taken! I'll take another shot of that anytime!”

Loki grinned, amused at his pet's sudden change of demeanour. “I fear my magic's effects are too potent to use on a regular basis, pet.”

Tony sighed, but he was too content to argue the point. Content was never a word he'd been able to use to describe himself. He hadn't even minded the ridiculous nickname.

Loki let his hand slide down Tony's chest to pinch a nipple, the other tracing circles around the arc reactor. Tony knew he should object to the touch, but he was having trouble remembering why. Sure, Loki was an enemy, but sex had always made Tony feel better on a bad day, and even under the effect of Loki's spell, Tony had to acknowledge that today had been colossally shitty. Besides, it wasn't Loki's body he objected to. Tony had to concede the guy was smoking hot.

It's not like Tony hadn't been with guys before, or slept with people he didn't particularly like. No, it was just the pain and humiliation Loki had inflicted that he hadn't liked. Now that the fear was dampened, Tony could admit fucking Loki sounded like a pretty damned good idea.

Decision made, Tony reached up to grab the god by the hair and bring their lips together. The god froze in surprise for a moment, then responded with enthusiasm. The demanding interplay of their tongues echoed the battle that had just occurred between them, each struggling for dominance and giving it all they had.

 


	26. The Balance of Power

Loki had been idly stroking his pet's body when Stark grabbed him by the hair and kissed him. The god took a moment to register his shock before responding. _Stark wants me?_ The man's lips were soft, but his tongue was demanding, attacking Loki's mouth just as the man of iron had done in battle before. Loki returned the kiss fiercely, meeting Stark's passion with equal fervour. 

The kiss was fantastic, Loki had to admit, but his mind was spinning to understand the implications.  _Stark can't want me. He's been begging me not to touch him, not to hurt him. This is a move for power, nothing more._ Loki could understand using sex to strengthen his position – he had used it that way himself in the past. The god gasped into the mortal's mouth as one of his prisoner's hands snaked its way under his armour to rest on the cool skin of his belly. He had to stop himself from squirming as Stark's well-practised fingers explored his stomach and chest. Loki had always been more vulnerable to shows of caring than he was to pain. Still, he allowed himself a few moments of pleasure before threading his fingers through Stark's free hand to regain control of the encounter.

The mortal shrieked in pain, and Loki remembered Stark's injury in battle. Without even thinking, Loki healed the wound, then cursed himself.  _He's manipulating me, and I'm falling right into his hands._ Hands that were fumbling with the laces on his trousers, trying to gain access to Loki's cock. Loki magicked away his clothing before he could think better of it. The mortal hesitated only a moment before sliding his hands down Loki's torso, around his thighs, touching everywhere but where the god wanted it most.

Loki was coming undone. The battle of their tongues was a clear loss for the god, who was now lying on his back on the desert floor, allowing his prisoner to kiss him at will, unable to concentrate for the hands tormenting him.  _This cannot be just a power play. No mortal can trick a god into feeling like this... can they?_

Stark broke the kiss and began leaving a trail of nips and licks down Loki's neck and chest. The god whimpered at the thought of where his prisoner was going, then cursed himself again for his weakness. He ran his hands down the mortal's back, trying to regain some semblance of control over his reactions. Stark kissed and licked as far as Loki's hips, then stopped and looked straight into the god's eyes. 

_He likes me._

The man raised a finger to his lips and began licking it, a mockery of everything Loki was silently begging him to do. The god watched, entranced, as Stark's tongue swirled and lapped at the finger. Loki's hips bucked against his will.

His prisoner let the finger pop out of his mouth obscenely. “Why, Loki, I do believe you want me.”

Before the god could respond, Stark's mouth was around his cock and the finger was pressing against his hole, demanding entry as insistently as the man's tongue in his mouth before. Loki's traitorous body welcomed it enthusiastically, grinding down on the finger. The pressure was a perfect counterpoint to the magic Stark's tongue was performing on Loki's cock. 

Loki hated himself for lying back so helplessly. He knew that Stark was only doing this to control him, but a siren's voice in the back of his head was whispering that maybe the magic had allowed the mortal to express his true feelings. Loki despised how hopeful that thought made him feel. 

“You are still my prisoner, Stark. This changes nothing.” _The breathlessness in my voice isn't helping._

The mortal lifted his head and bored his eyes into Loki's. “I want to fuck you, Master.” The man's voice was calm and controlled, and the use of the title was quite deliberate. Stark knew damned well that his master was falling apart.

_I can't let this happen,_ Loki realized with a hiss of disappointment. His prisoner was easing a second finger into Loki's eager ass, and if the god let him do it he'd never have full mastery over the man again. 

The god flicked his wrist, and the man disappeared. Loki's cock ached, and his ass felt bereft without the mortal's clever fingers pressing into it. He hated himself for wanting his mortal prisoner this much. The god of mischief channelled all that frustration into anger, and cursed and screamed and blew up rocks until the sexual tension had worn off into his cold mask of indifferent superiority again.

 


	27. Alone Again

Tony blinked in confusion. One moment he'd been going down on Loki, enjoying the powerful thrill of having the god tremble and groan at his ministrations, and then... blackness. Tony was still kneeling, only now on the rough stone floor of what must be the same lightless cave he'd been held in before. It had all happened so fast his hips were still thrusting in anticipation, blood pulsing through his cock, his mouth and tongue protesting the absence of Loki's cock to lick and suck. The spicy-smooth scent of the god's skin still lingered and mingled with the damp mineral smell of the sand and rock now surrounding the engineer. He blinked again, but his eyes couldn't adjust to the all-encompassing darkness.

_What the hell was that about?_

With the effects of Loki's calming spell still on him, Tony couldn't bring himself to puzzle out the meaning of the trickster's actions, not with his cock still rock-hard and demanding attention. No surprise that he'd been left naked, Tony thought wryly as he began taking care of his throbbing erection. Loki seemed to like keeping him nude and accessible, even if he apparently didn't know what to do when Tony had responded to his advances. Tony wrapped his fist tightly around his cock and imagined sliding in and out of the god's tight ass instead of his own palm. He groaned.

_I'm not used to this._

Sure, he'd done his share of whacking off, but Tony had always had his choice of lovers, both men and women. People don't say no to handsome billionaires, after all, and Tony knew his way around a bedroom. The god didn't know what he was missing. Tony chuckled to himself as he gave himself a couple of final pumps and came. Yeah, he was fucking amazing, and amazing at fucking.


	28. Descent Into Darkness

If Loki's magic had been the best drug ever, coming down off it came with the worst withdrawal Tony had ever experienced. Tony bottomed out moments after masturbating, and for once, an orgasm didn't make him feel better at all. Tony was shivering on the cold floor of the pitch-black cave, and his once-silenced inner voice was catching up on lost time.

_No wonder Loki couldn't stand kissing me. I'm disgusting._

Tony could feel the come drying on his stomach, a sticky mess blending with dirt and blood from countless days without a shower.

_And my breath... my teeth are probably rotting out of my head._ He rubbed his fingers across his gums and teeth to try to clean them, but the taste of dirt on his hands almost made him gag. 

_I can't blame Loki for banishing me to this cave. Pepper couldn't wait to get rid of me, and we had years of history keeping her around. It had only been a matter of time before she left._ He'd always known she was too good for him. Tony ran his fingers through his greasy hair, long since grown out from his signature style.

_I don't know what I was thinking. Imagining I deserved to fuck a god._

The more he thought about it, the worse Tony felt. He'd upset the balance with Loki, fucked everything up again, just like he always did. That's why he was here. That's why he'd been taken, why he'd been there all along - waiting for Loki to fix him, make him better, teach him his place.

_Teach me my place. Isn't that what Loki said he'd do?_ Tony's mind grasped at the first semi-positive thought he'd had since the magic wore off. _Loki can fix this. Loki can fix me._ Tony latched onto the idea with the desperate weight of all those weeks of misery.

"Loki!" Tony's voice was raw, but he shouted anyway. "Loki, I'm sorry! Please, take me back. Hit me, hurt me, I'll call you Master, anything, just don't leave me here in the dark!"

No response. 

Tony strained to listen for some sign that his master had heard him, but there was no sound but the drip-drip-drip of water on stone. Tony knelt on the floor, forehead pressed to the hard ground, both dreading and praying for the moment when the god would take pity on him and come back to punish him for his insolence.


	29. Crying for Help

Tony waited in the darkness.

Drip. Drip. Water was falling somewhere in the cave, but the echoes made it impossible to pinpoint where. Tony didn't dare move to find it, even though his throat and mouth felt parched. He stayed on his knees. Loki would come.

Loki was coming soon, Tony felt sure of it. The god wouldn't leave him alone in the cave. He'd visited every day before, when he'd been teaching Tony his place. He'd hurt Tony, but Tony had deserved it. Tony was a fast learner. He could do better. He'd show Loki how well he could do. When Loki came back, Tony would be waiting on his knees.

When Loki came back. Loki was coming back. He was. He had to. Tony was good now, Loki had to be coming back. 

_Please come back._

Drip. Drip.

The sound itched at Tony's brain. 

Drip.

The engineer could swear the water was moving closer. He couldn't see it, but he could hear the drops forming a puddle. It reminded him of the trough of water, closing around his face, filling his nose, entering his lungs... 

Tony swore he could hear the water sloshing around in the trough. No. No trough. No sloshing. Just drips. Constant, endless drips.

 _No, not constant. There's a space between each. Constant means not stopping, but this is ... what?_ Tony struggled to find the word. _Intermittent? No. Continuous? No, not that. Continual? Maybe._

Drip. Drip.

Tony had to take his mind off the dripping. The engineer set his mind to chanting an endless refrain.

_Loki is coming back. Loki is coming back. Loki is coming back soon. Loki will be back. He's coming back. Loki will be here soon. Loki is coming..._

Drip. 

_...back. Loki is coming back. Loki is..._

Drip. 

The water was even closer now. It had to be. Why was Loki doing this?

_Because I'm a bad person. But Loki will come back, and I'll show him I can be good. I'll do everything he wants, and he'll make the water go away._

Drip. Drip.

_I'll suck his cock and let him whip me and scream as loud as he wants. I'll call him Master._

_Master._

Drip.

_Master. That's why he hasn't come. That's why the water isn't stopping. I called him Loki._

Drip.

_Master is coming. Master is coming. Master is coming back, and everything will be okay. Master will fix it. Master is coming._

Drip.

"Master, please! Master, I'm sorry. Please, I'll do anything!" 

_Please._

Drip.


	30. An Unexpected Confession

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long to get up. Angst and feelings are hard to write, mKay?

The thought of Stark's lips teased at Loki like a song he couldn't get out of his head. The mortal's lips had been so soft, but the way his tongue had felt invading Loki's mouth like a conquering army... Or worse, the way Loki had yielded, offering up his cock like a white flag... There were no words for how desired Stark had made him feel.

Loki felt his knees going weak as his ass clenched reflexively at the memory of Stark kneeling over him, staring down at him hungrily, like a predator about to devour his prey. Loki's cock twitched. Oooh, that had been...

 _Humiliating. Distasteful. Certainly not erotic to have the tables turned on me._ Loki hated feeling powerless.

He had definitely been powerless in that encounter. Damn it, he'd been on the verge of spreading his legs for the mortal, writhing and mewling like a cat in heat. Even now, looking back on the moment, he felt uncomfortable. He pictured it again, just to be sure. Mmm, yes, Stark had wrapped his hot lips around Loki's cock, sliding a wet finger into Loki's tender ass. The man had been working magic with his tongue. The god could hardly be blamed for enjoying the mortal's attentions for a few seconds before stopping it. _Except I wasn't enjoying it. That wasn't how it was supposed to go._ Loki had been aroused, but that was against his will. _He's my prisoner, not the other way around. He's the one who should be hard and aching for ME. How dare he try to exert sexual power over me this way?_

Loki's mind latched onto his spark of anger like a life raft in a sea of confusing emotions. How dare Stark attempt such a blatant grab for dominance? By what right did he remain so insolent, so arrogant... How was it possible for him to remain so in control even in the throes of defeat, when Loki's body had been trembling with desire? _I am a god, I should not be aroused by a mortal's efforts to subjugate me._

The more he pondered it, the angrier he became, and still his cock was throbbing.

With his rage came self-hatred. Other Asgardians weren't brought so low by the temptations of mortal beings from the lesser realms. Had Stark exposed some vein of Jotun weakness in him? If Thor's friends could see him now, he'd never be able to show his face again. He didn't need to imagine their mocking laughter – it echoed in his ears from years of snide comments and pitying looks. _I will not allow this so-called Man of Iron to make me a laughingstock of the gods. I will not stand for it!_

Loki conjured his staff and transported himself to his prisoner's cave. He focused all his indignity and righteous fury on the arrogant mortal illuminated in the staff's dim light, the self-important billionaire who was...

_cowering and trembling at my feet?_

“Master, you came. I knew you'd come back. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I'll be good, Master, forgive me.” The words poured out of his slave's mouth in a rush, barely discernible between sobs. 

Loki was struck dumb, staring at his prisoner in shock and confusion. He felt a rush of revulsion – this wretched creature begging pitifully on his knees couldn't possibly be the same man of iron who'd kissed him so confidently only the day before. Who'd made him feel so... desired. _NO! He'd been in control of his own emotions. No mere mortal could affect him without his consent. Certainly not this pathetic creature at his feet._

Loki shifted uncomfortably as Stark looked up at him with pleading eyes that were red and weepy in the light. He felt a pang of guilt – the man had been so irritating, but delightfully obstinate in his struggle not to give in to the god. Now, with the mortal on his knees, Loki felt almost bereft, like he'd ripped the head off his favourite toy. When his prisoner had been defiant, the desire to whip and bruise and take him had been irresistible.

Loki had taken other mortal prisoners, of course, over his long lifetime, but none had affected him as intensely as this one had. Most of them had been weak-minded, giving in too quickly to Loki's torture and offering only token resistance to the god's more carnal pursuits. Those others Loki had enjoyed breaking. He had relished their pleas for mercy, and found their pitiful whimpers of acquiescence arousing.

The god had been looking forward to the thrill of seeing Stark broken, this great hero brought low. He'd pictured the mortal's defeated expression and the god's cock had throbbed at the thought of ramming a thick helping of humility into that arrogant face. This, though... The Avenger was on his knees and Loki couldn't get even a twitch of lust in response to his enemy's submission.

Loki was at a loss.

Stark was still looking up at him expectantly. “Please, Master.” The prisoner's voice was barely a whisper. He squirmed uncomfortably, as if he could read the god's thoughts. “Please don't leave me alone again. Hit me, hurt me, fuck me, anything you want, please!”

Loki didn't respond as his broken prisoner begged for mercy. Part of him wanted to reach out and comfort the desperately pleading man. Another, darker part of Loki's soul wanted to whip and slash and hurt his slave until that entrancing fire came back into Stark's eyes. And still Loki hesitated.

Stark's pleas were becoming more and more urgent, a note of despair rising in his voice as the god made no reply to his words. “Master, please! I'm begging you! I need you, master. Please, master, I...” His voice dropped back to a whisper. “Loki, I love you.”

Silence.

Loki stared, his face impassive.

Stark stared back, shocked that the admission had escaped his lips.

Loki stared, and his blood sang in his veins.

_He loves me! He wants me! Desired and cherished at last!_

_No, don't be a fool. He is a prisoner. He would say anything to escape, anything to make me give him what he wants._

_He likes me. He wants me. Do I even want him?_

_He's using me. He's desperate. He's pathetic._

The thoughts swirled around Loki's head until he was ready to scream, and still the mortal remained on his knees, watching and waiting for the god's response. 

Loki took a step back and disappeared, plunging the cave into darkness again. He heard Stark's wail of despair follow him and fade to silence.

 


	31. Broken Promises

Tony couldn't have been more surprised when the words had come out of his mouth. Him, love Loki? Not likely, after all the shit the insane lunatic had done to him. No, Tony had a lot of feelings about Loki, but love wasn't exactly at the top of the list.

Tony just hadn't been himself when Loki had come back. That was all. He'd been psychologically messed up because he'd been locked up in the dark in the cave with only his demons for company. Anyone would have reacted the same way to a potential rescuer. Okay, said rescuer was the guy who put him there in the first place, but hey, Stockholm syndrome. Yeah. No way was Tony falling for a violent psychopath with a god complex. Sure, Tony was the king of bad decisions, but absolutely no part of this imprisonment at Loki's hands had been even remotely positive.

Except for that happy spell mumbo-jumbo after the fight. Oh, god, that was the good stuff. Tony would give his right arm for a bottle of that magic. He could picture it now, the ultimate drug nestled among amber bottles of whiskey, just waiting to take away the nightmares of doubt and self-loathing and fucking alien armies descending from the skies. He'd drink the whole bottle the first time he dreamt of New York, he just knew it.

Yeah, come to think of it, it was totally that happy drug that had messed with Tony's mind when it came to Loki. He'd been fighting the god just fine until that dirty trick. When Loki had told him to submit, he'd laughed in the madman's face. He'd fought through the torture and the pain - what was a whipping after he'd survived having his chest cut open and hooked up to a car battery in a terrorist's cave? And the rapes - humiliation laced with nightmare fuel, just Loki's style. Tony was no stranger to nightmares, and despite his big ego, humiliation didn't work that well on him either. Howard Stark had always been quick to knock Tony down a peg or two at the first sign of the genius developing a healthy self-esteem. No, none of the god's tactics had worked until he made good on his threat to blur the lines of pleasure and pain.

And oh, god, had he ever blurred those lines. Tony had gone from fear, defeat, and desolation to purring like a kitten in moments. Hell, Tony had been all over his captor, trying to push the insane god into doing even more with the defeated prisoner. He'd have let Loki rape him again, no questions asked, had the god not decided to stop things. Yeah, that had been weird. Tony couldn't figure it out, but he was both hurt and pissed that the god had flaked out in the middle of sex.

Loki had promised, hadn't he? He'd promised Tony would be his servant, his personal slave to use and abuse. He'd promised to wipe Tony's mind, clear the slate and leave Tony with nothing but obedience to his master. He'd promised that, threatened it as the price of defeat. Tony had done his share, damn it! He'd played his role, upheld his part of the bargain. He'd lost the battle, fallen to his knees at his captor's feet. He'd been broken, utterly and completely, just like Loki had insisted. He'd given up hope, called Loki 'Master', begged and cried and debased himself, and Loki had dangled his promised reward in front of him like a mouse on a string or the beam of a laser pointer, ever out of reach, tormenting his pet. Tony hated himself for wanting it, but he couldn't help craving that oblivion now that he'd tasted it. 

Tony had lost, just like so many other battles. He'd failed himself, like he'd failed to save Yinsen, like he hadn't been able to prevent Killian taking Pepper, like he hadn't stopped Loki from raping Pepper. He didn't deserve to win. He didn't deserve to go free, to try to heal. He had no right to get rescued anymore, to stand among the Avengers as if he belonged shoulder to shoulder with heroes. No, Tony had failed, and he deserved his fate as Loki's slave. He'd accepted it. He needed it now, and the fucking god was holding it back from him, for some unfathomable reason.

So here Tony was, waiting on the floor of the cave, on his knees, waiting for Loki to come back again. Waiting with fear and anticipation for Loki to come. He was pretty sure this was rock-bottom, and he was comfortable there. On his knees. Aching in his bones from the cold seeping up from the stones. Longing for the inevitable. Terrified that it wasn't coming after all.

But no. 

Loki would come.

Surely...

Master would come. 


	32. Awkwardness

The slave at Loki's feet bobbed and sucked obediently, and the god answered with the appropriate groans, but Loki wasn't feeling it. Well, obviously he could feel his cock being enveloped by Stark's mouth, its head hammering out its rhythm on the back of his prisoner's throat, but something was amiss and Loki couldn't put his finger on it. His hands fisted in Stark's hair, now almost chin-length, as Loki blew his load down his slave's throat, but the whole experience was strangely dissatisfying, and it was getting harder and harder to hide the fact. The god stroked his slave's hair absentmindedly as the man licked him clean. The prisoner's behaviour was impeccable, and Loki couldn't find fault with him really, but... Loki's visits to the cave were getting fewer and farther between, and every orgasm left him with a bad taste in his mouth, even though he wasn't the one sucking any cocks.

Having a slave was more trouble than it was worth, really. That's what it boiled down to, he supposed. Loki considered his options and sighed. Stark was like two-day old leftovers – Loki was sure he didn't want him anymore, but couldn't bring himself to dispose of him when there wasn't anything particularly wrong with him yet. Loki didn't see the point in leaving him to rot, but somehow it seemed better than just straight-up killing Stark for having done nothing wrong. The whole situation made Loki feel guilty, and that made him resentful. And if he took out his anger on his slave in the form of a few lashes of the whip, who would blame him, really?

And if his visits dropped in frequency from daily to once every week or ten days, well... Loki had better things to do. If he couldn't come and go as he pleased, then who was the true prisoner, Stark or Loki? That's what he told himself, anyway, as his resentment gradually led to abuse and neglect.

And then, one day, Loki appeared in the cave that served as Stark's prison cell and his slave failed to greet him. The god summoned light and found his prisoner unconscious and burning up, and mingled with the concern and irritation at this change in the status quo, Loki felt _relief_. At last, he had an excuse to end this uncomfortable charade. Finally, Loki could banish Stark from his consciousness, forget this whole affair had ever started and move on with his life. Loki surprised himself by knowing exactly what to do in this situation, though he'd never consciously considered it.

The god flicked his wrist and all trace of Tony Stark was gone from his life. His vanquished enemy, his slave, his prisoner was cut out like a cancer from Loki's life, and the god considered himself healthier for it. When he left the cave, Loki walked taller than he had in months.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap, it took me ages to update this. Turns out I don't like writing Broken Tony at all. I like breaking him, but once I've beaten the spirit out of him he's no fun to play with anymore and I kind of wish I could throw him away and start over. However, I'm determined to finish this fic!


	33. On the Roof

“Captain Rogers, your immediate assistance is required on the roof. I would recommend bringing a medical kit and a blanket.”

Jarvis's announcement, out of the blue during Steve's morning workout, had the captain's heart in his throat. He leapt into action while his thoughts raced at the possibilities. They'd been tracing Tony so long, without any sign of success. He was almost afraid to ask, but had to anyway.

“Is it Tony? Is he okay? Who found him, finally?”

“Sir's body temperature and vital signs are not at acceptable levels. My sensors indicate he is alone, and I have no information on how Sir was returned to us.”

“Take me to him, Jarvis.”

 

The prone form on the rooftop was ghastly pale and much too thin, and Steve was reminded of his younger, weaker self. Stark was naked and unconscious in the direct light of the New York August sun, and yet was shivering uncontrollably.

“Oh, Tony, what did they do to you?” _God only knows what the insane god of mischief would do with a genius under his control._

As soon as Steve had inspected Tony for any injury that would preclude moving him, the captain wrapped him in the blanket and gathered the comatose billionaire gently into his arms. Tony groaned as he was moved, and he was light in the captain's arms, much too light. Steve shifted to a fireman's carry as he approached the doorway, trying to avoid the chance of hitting Stark's head on the doorframe.

“Loki, please!”

Tony's whimper sounded broken and terrified, and Steve froze. _What if this was a trick of Loki's?_ He knelt in the shade and cradled Tony's head in his arms, considering.

On the one hand, Tony was filthy, unkempt, and more than half starved. That probably meant he hadn't been under Loki's mind control, but what if Steve was wrong?

“Jarvis? When Tony wakes up, what happens to Dinosaur Protocol?”

 

The name still rankled, but Steve was grateful Stark had set up a system for the eventuality that he'd be incapacitated. If Tony was out of commission for more than a day, whether unconscious, missing, or dead, control of Jarvis and the tower passed to Captain Steven Rogers until the genius was recovered. The protocol, despite its insulting name (Steve didn't miss nearly as many references these days, thank you very much!), had proven essential to the search efforts. With Steve set as Jarvis's main point of contact with the Avengers, they'd managed to coordinate a worldwide search effort while maintaining the illusion to the media that Tony Stark was alive and well, and just being reclusive in his laboratory whenever he wasn't needed as Iron Man. They'd even had Jarvis send a suit out unmanned to hover over a few missions so nobody would notice Stark's absence. Now that he was back, however, the protocol had run its course, and Steve would be handing the reins back to Tony.

 

And if Loki was controlling Tony's mind...

 

“With all due respect, Captain, my first loyalty and priority will always be my creator. As soon as Sir regains consciousness, I will return to taking orders from him.”

“Thank you, Jarvis. I understand. Would you please notify SHIELD and the other Avengers that Tony is back? Also, ask Fury if he'll send a helicopter over to pick us up. I think he'll want to oversee Tony's recovery himself.”

Steve breathed a sigh of relief when the AI complied immediately. Steve had half feared Jarvis would refuse the order to send Tony away. It wasn't that the captain wanted to be in charge; he didn't, really. But the hero's sense of responsibility nagged at him not to let Tony take control of Jarvis until it was absolutely safe. He could only imagine the havoc Loki would wreak on the world with Stark's tech, weapons, and armour at his disposal. No, Steve was doing the right thing by having the genius evacuated to SHIELD headquarters.

 


	34. Decisions

As the conference room echoed with raised voices, Agent Maria Hill couldn't resist raising an eyebrow almost imperceptibly at her boss. Director Fury had always liked to blame Stark for the conflict on the Avengers team – _can't go ten minutes without cracking an ill-timed joke_ – but he couldn't pin this one on the billionaire hero. This time the Avengers were falling apart without any help from Stark.

“Can you imagine the risk to the civilian population of this city if Loki gets access to Stark's weapons?” Steve was pacing the room, gesticulating wildly as he made his point. “I'm not risking having him in the tower when he could very well be under Loki's control!”

“Do you even hear yourself? _It's Stark's Tower!_ By what right are you keeping him out of it?” Bruce's voice was shaking, and Hill was half-tempted to call in a preemptive lockdown for the floor.

“It's the Avengers' Tower now, and –”

“And the Avengers should decide what to do about this. All of us. Together.” Clint looked around the room pointedly. Half their team was missing, and stress of a several-month-long missing person's case was taking its toll on the band of heroes.

“I'm sorry, Agent Barton, we can't afford to wait for the rest of the team. Agent Romanov's still chasing leads on Stark's whereabouts, her last known location is halfway across the world, and she hasn't logged on to her Starkphone in two days. Thor's not due to check in from his search of the other realms until Thursday. We make our decision today, without their say.”

Fury's regretful tone of voice seemed to infuriate Doctor Banner all over again. “This shouldn't even be an issue! Tony's about to regain consciousness from untold trauma, the least we can do is let him use the top-of-the-line medical facilities available  _in his own home!_ God knows what it would do to his psyche to wake up in yet another unfamiliar location.”

“And won't the world respect our concern for Tony's delicate feelings if he wakes up with blue eyes and starts doing Loki's bidding?” Fury pointed out sarcastically.

Hill couldn't help but notice Barton's shudder at the mention of Loki's mind control. Fury hadn't convinced the archer yet, but Hill could see he would side with them eventually. That left only Banner against the decision, and with the shadow of the Hulk looming over him, the doctor wouldn't be willing to escalate the argument. Hill allowed herself the briefest shimmer of a smile. Fury had this in the bag.

 

Clint paced the hallway outside Tony's room, muttering to himself. The doctors would only allow two visitors at a time, so he and Pepper were waiting outside while Bruce and Steve sat at the engineer's bedside. The CEO of Stark Industries had been pulled out of a meeting to rush to the hospital, and her polished suit was in striking contrast to the shell-shocked expression on her pale face. She barely even acknowledged Clint's presence, so he almost missed her whispered confession.

“I'm not even sure I can bring myself to go in. I can't see him like this.”

“I won't tell him you didn't visit.” Clint paused. “He hasn't woken up since Steve found him, the doctor said. She's talking about keeping him in a medically-induced coma for a week to help him recover.”

“What if he never wakes up?” Pepper's voice trembled. “I just... How will I live with myself?”

Clint's voice dropped to barely a mumble. “I'm almost more afraid of the opposite. What if I go in there and he opens his eyes and it's not Tony anymore? If he's under Loki's control... I can't even promise I won't snap and kill him.”

“You don't have to do this today.” Clint and Pepper both started at Bruce's voice from the doorway. They met the scientist's eyes with guilty looks. Bruce, bless him, had always been the most thoughtful of the Avengers. “Steve is going back to the tower to keep Jarvis posted and get him started on researching how to break Loki's mind control if that turns out to be an issue. I'm going to stay here and keep an eye on Tony. You're welcome to stay, of course, but...”

“He'll need us composed and well rested when he wakes up.” Pepper latched onto the idea gratefully. “Thanks, Doctor Banner, you're... Just thank you.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know how you like it! Comments are welcome and suggestions for where you'd like the story to go will totally be considered, and may even speed the story along. Cheers, and thanks for reading.


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